Afghanistan - Human Rights case study (MOCK) Flashcards
Afghanistan location and background
Country located in Southwest Asia. Poor and development has been held back by long period of political instability.
Population of Afghanistan
34.1 million
Percentage of people living in absolute poverty
65%
Afghanistan’s HDI
0.479 (169th)
How has the period of renewed insurgency led to further decline in respect to human rights?
- Increased number of casualties
- Domestic violence towards women + continued/rising employment, health and education inequality
- Disruption of democracy in 2014 Presidential election
- Attacks on journalists, domestic + foreign, denying freedom of expression
Taliban control
The Taliban were in control of 90% of the country before 2001. Resurgence of the Taliban has led to continued human rights violations.
How is the UN governing human rights in Afghanistan?
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UAMA) was established by the Security Council in 2002. Their aims are:
- To promote respect for international humanitarian and human rights laws
- To implement the freedoms and human rights provisions in the Afghan constitution
How is the Afghan government governing human rights?
- Has passed laws intending to help improve democratic process in the country, as well as creating a law to eliminate violence towards women in 2009
How are NGOs governing human rights?
Eg. Afghan Aid - primarily involved in rural development strategies.
What are the general positive impacts of global governance of human rights in Afghan communities?
- Nearly 6 million children were attending school in 2014, up from 1 million in 2001, with 40% being girls.
- Access to primary healthcare has increased from 9% in 2003 to over 50% in 2014 + average life expectancy has increased by 6 years since 2000
Rural Projects - Chaghcharan district, Ghor background and problems
- Ghor is one of the most geographically inhospitable provinces in Afghanistan
Rural Projects - Chaghcharan district, Ghor - promoting human rights
EU funding and Afghan Aid training have introduced more effective agricultural practices, reduced risk of disease by securing safe water supplies and improved hygiene.
Urban Projects - Kabul, Afghanistan’s Capital City background and problems
Denial of human rights + rapid urban population growth in Kabul (due to economic and political rural-urban migration) has deprived local communities of many services and basic rights.
Urban Projects - Kabul, Afghanistan’s Capital City promoting human rights
- UN attempting to coordinate Afghan government, local governments, community councils and funding from the Japanese government to upgrade neighbourhoods in the 33 provincial capitals + Kabul
UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The UN’s 8 MDGs were set in 2000 and all members of the UN committed to help attempt to achieve these goals by 2015.
UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
The UN’s 17 global SDGs were set in 2015, after the ‘expiry’ of the MDGs. They are aims for 2030 and so are known collectively as ‘Agenda 2030’.
Short-Term benefits of global governance of human rights
- Medical assistance and provisions of medicines (NGOs like Medicins Sans Frontieres)
- Provisions of shelter, sanitation, food and water (NGOs like Oxfam, Save the Children)
- Military protection preventing further casualties and providing protected areas to live and safety for aid workers (UN peacekeeping)
Military intervention negatives
- Damage to property and infrastructure
- Population displacement
- Further disrespect for human rights
- Civilian casualties
- Disruption for education
- Tensions can be fuelled over aid and conflict prolonged into longer term
Longer-term benefits for development of global governance of human rights
- Improvement in health and life expectancy including IMR and MMR
- Education equality, increased enrolment for girls and boys
- Freedom from abuse of women and children
- Democratic elections, democratic government and political stability
- Employment opportunities and reduction of poverty
