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Together with the World Bank, consultants funded by the Department for International Development (DFID) have worked closely with the Independent Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission drafting new civil service law, which was adopted in late 2005. DFID funded consultants have worked closely with the Ministry of Commerce, and US colleagues on the development of a range of legislation aimed at promoting development of private sector.Working with Italy, the partner nation for Reform of the Justice Sector in Afghanistan, and other international partners, the UK is helping Afghanistan establish a functional, accessible, equitable and sustainable justice system. In 2004, DFID made a contribution of £0.5 million to United Nations Development programme (UNDP) project ‘Rebuilding the Justice Sector in Afghanistan’; £0.2 million of this has been rolled over to finance the new UNDP ‘Strengthening Justice Sector in Afghanistan Project’. Funds from the joint Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO)/DFID/Ministry of Defence Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP) has provided a further £0.5 million to this project, which includes promotion of human rights, strengthening justice sector institutions, rehabilitation and reconstruction of infrastructure, training and capacity building of justice sector personnel. The GCPP also recently provided $1 million to the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission towards their overall core costs for financial year 2006-07.The FCO's Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) continues to support the promotion of human rights in Afghanistan. Over the past three financial years GOF has provided £240,000 to the Bar Human Rights Committee to deliver human rights legal training; contributed £150,000 to the Women Empowerment Project, implemented by Womankind, focused on promoting women's equal participation in national/provincial government and building gender equality in Afghanistan; and committed £339,000 to the Action Aid projects, Afghan Women Affecting Change and Women's Participation in Governance, aimed at supporting domestic women's rights organisations and women's involvement in local government respectively. |