In a statement to the press issued in New York, the Council’s 15 members condemned the attack – reportedly a suicide truck bombing – on the US consulate in the Western Afghan province, for which the Taliban have claimed responsibility.

The Security Council in its statement expressed deep sympathy and sincere condolences to the families of the victims of this “heinous” act, and to the Government and people of Afghanistan.

Council members also condemned acts of violence against diplomatic and consular representatives, which endanger or take innocent lives and seriously impede the normal work of such representatives and officials.

Further to the statement, the Council reiterated its “serious concern” at the threats posed by the Taliban, Al-Qaida and illegal armed groups to the local population, national security forces, diplomatic facilities, international military and international assistance efforts in Afghanistan, particularly in light of a number of recent terrorist attacks in Kabul and elsewhere in the country.

“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to bring perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors of these reprehensible acts of terrorism to justice, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with the Afghan authorities in this regard,” the statement stresses.

Reaffirming that terrorism “in all its forms and manifestations” is criminal and unjustifiable, the Council also reaffirmed the need to combat by all means, in accordance with the UN Charter and all obligations under international law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts.

Finally the members of the Council reiterated that no terrorist act can reverse the path towards Afghan-led peace, democracy and stability in Afghanistan, “which is supported by the people and the Government of Afghanistan and the international community.”

The report, Afghanistan: Survey of Commercial Cannabis Cultivation and Production 2012, released today in the Afghan capital, Kabul, noted that the main reason for the increase in production despite the decline in cultivation was better yields by the cannabis, locally known as ‘garda,’ compared to the previous year.

The survey, which covered 16 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces where commercial cannabis cultivation had been observed or reported in past surveys, estimated that most of the cannabis cultivation concentrated in the southern provinces of Afghanistan, accounting for some 54 per cent, and, to a lesser extent, in the east and north of the country.

In 2012, the national average of garda yield was 136 kilograms per hectare, an increase of 21 per cent compared to 2011, which experienced a yield of 112 kilograms per hectare. The 2012 yield levels came close to the high experienced in 2009 of 145 kilograms per hectare.

The joint report – prepared by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the Ministry and the fourth since 2009 – stated that another reason for the reduction in cultivation was “a strictly enforced ban by provincial authorities,” which was imposed because “cannabis fields seemed to have been used by insurgent groups as hiding places.”

The report also said the reduction in overall cultivation was partly because of a “dramatic decline” in the southern province of Uruzgan which had only about 100 hectares of land under cannabis cultivation in 2012, down from about 1,000 hectares in 2011.

Growing the illicit crop remains lucrative despite a downward correction in prices observed since the peak in 2011. UNODC noted that in 2012, farmers could achieve a gross income of $6,400 per hectare from cannabis resin, exceeding the gross income from opium of $4,600 per hectare.

“This again indicates that a farmer decides on planting licit or illicit crops in a holistic way including as much family needs, food security, access to markets, access to non-farm income, as there is risk. Only an ‘opium farmer’, or a ‘cannabis farmer’ or even a ‘wheat farmer’ simply does not exist,” said UNODC’s Regional Representative, Jean-Luc Lemahieu.

He added that agriculture should be seen as one and measures against illicit crops should be integrated into agricultural policy.

The mid-year report on the protection of civilians, produced by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), documented 1,319 civilian deaths and 2,533 injuries – a total of 3,852 civilian casualties – in the first half of 2013.

This marks an increase of 14 per cent in deaths and 28 per cent in injuries over the same period in 2012, the Mission stated in a news release. The increase reverses the decline recorded in 2012, and marks a return to the high numbers of civilian deaths and injuries documented in 2011.

“The violent impact of the conflict on Afghan civilians marked by the return of rising civilian casualties in 2013 demands even greater commitment and further efforts by parties to the conflict to protect civilians who are increasingly being killed and injured in the crossfire,” said the Secretary-General’s Special Representative and head of UNAMA, Ján Kubiš.

“The increase in the indiscriminate use of IEDs and the deliberate targeting of civilians by anti-Government elements is particularly alarming and must stop,” he added.

The second biggest cause of civilian deaths and injuries were “ground engagements” between Afghan security forces and anti-Government elements, which UNAMA said poses an increasing threat to Afghan children, women and men.

“The growing loss of life and injuries to Afghan women and children in 2013 is particularly disturbing,” said UNAMA’s Director of Human Rights, Georgette Gagnon. “Deaths and injuries to women and children increased by 38 per cent in the first half of 2013 reflecting a grim reality of the conflict today in Afghanistan.”

Republished from HRW.org

This week, reality struck home for Afghanistan over the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Ratified by Afghanistan in 2003 during the early heady post-Taliban days when it seemed like a bright future for women was inevitable, CEDAW is a treaty that requires/demands gender equality in access to education, health care, and political participation. It is the basis for global efforts to end violence against women. The Afghan government is failing in many ways to live up to the commitment it made by signing on to CEDAW.

When you ratify a convention you don’t just get a pat on the back and then a pass on your obligations. CEDAW compliance is overseen by a committee of 23 experts, who spent hours Wednesday grilling the Afghan government delegation who showed up in Geneva to defend the government’s efforts on women’s rights. Committee members pointed out many of the issues Human Rights Watch highlighted in our written statement including that now, 10 years after CEDAW was ratified, numerous Afghan laws explicitly discriminate against women, including in one case a law passed since CEDAW was ratified – the Shia Personal Status Law. They also pointed out that even where the laws on the books are good, there are major failings in their implementation, including a majority of girls not in school, physical assaults including murder against women in public life, lack of accountability for violence against women, and on and on. Not to mention a real risk of backsliding as international support and interest dries up as the end-2014 international troop deadline approaches.

The Afghan government delegation answered some questions but dodged and downplayed many others (including refusing to address question of why the marriage age is lower for girls than boys, and rebutting the suggestion that women have no meaningful access to divorce by saying women can divorce husbands “for bad breath” ). The Afghan chair, Dr. Mohammad Hashimzai, a longtime senior member of the Ministry of Justice, said there is a real commitment across the government to implementing CEDAW. “Afghanistan faces so many challenges,” Dr. Hashimzai said. “But with the continued help of the international community and the help of this [CEDAW] Committee, we will succeed.”

Human Rights Watch will be watching closely to see how deep that government commitment really is – and whether the international community still cares about Afghan women after the military pull-out in 2014.

The 40-page report Frontier Europe: Human Rights Abuses on Greece’s border with Turkey examines the Greek authorities’ dangerous use of ‘push backs’- when they turn groups of migrants back across the border, denying them the right to have their individual cases heard or to challenge their expulsion.

The report also highlights the dangers refugees and migrants face trying to cross from Turkey to the Greek islands, and explores the appalling detention conditions those who do make it are often held in.

Since March, Amnesty International has spoken to nearly 30 people in Greece and Turkey who, in at least 39 separate instances, have been stopped trying to cross the Aegean or the northern land border between the two countries along the river Evros.

Almost all of them described how they had experienced or witnessed violence and/or other ill-treatment by the Greek authorities. Many said guards had taken their belongings, including money, family photos and heirlooms, and in some cases thrown them into the sea.

“What’s happening along the Greek border does not just shame Greece. It shames the European Union as a whole,” said Jezerca Tigani, Amnesty International’s Deputy Director for Europe and Central Asia.

“The number of push back stories we collected is extremely alarming. It suggests that the Greek authorities are employing this practice on a regular basis, despite the fact that it is unlawful. And it is also extremely dangerous – to the point where it puts people’s lives seriously at risk.”

Testimonies collected by Amnesty point to the blatant disregard for human life shown by the Greek coastguard during these operations carried out in the Aegean Sea. Thirteen of the 14 interviewees who described being returned to Turkey said how their inflatable boats were rammed, knifed, or nearly capsized while they were being towed or circled by a Greek coastguard boat. They said their boats’ engines were disabled and their oars removed, then they were just left in the middle of the sea. Life-endangering practices were also reported by people caught after crossing the river Evros.

The route across the Aegean has become more popular since last year when authorities built a 10.5 kilometre fence and deployed nearly 2,000 new border guards along the border at the river Evros. But it is a dangerous one. As well as the threat of push backs, since August last year more than 100 people – including women and children and mostly Syrians and Afghans – have drowned trying to reach Greece.

“As the weather gets better and conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia continue, we expect more people to attempt the journey and we are likely to see more tragedies like these,” said Jezerca Tigani.

Those who do make it to Greece are routinely detained in dark, dirty cells for long periods. Many of the people Amnesty spoke to had spent nearly nine months behind bars. Health problems are rife.

“The conditions refugees and migrants are being held in are often appalling. In fact, when we visited people in those cells it was difficult to remember we were actually in the EU. Many of them are fleeing conflict, poverty and hunger but too often they are being held in dark, dirty, damp cells, with limited access to fresh air and not enough food,” said Jezerca Tigani.

“Some detainees told us they had to call the police when they needed to use the toilet as there were no toilets in their cells. They said their calls were often not answered for hours so they had to urinate in bottles. Others said their bedding had not been washed for months, and that they had limited access to soap, shampoo or sanitary towels,” she added.

Amnesty International is calling on the Greek authorities to stop push backs immediately and investigate allegations of collective expulsions and ill-treatment, and to prosecute those involved. It wants all those intercepted trying to cross borders to have their cases for international protection heard fairly. It wants the Greek authorities to end the indiscriminate and prolonged detention of irregular migrants and asylum-seekers; and use alternatives to detention.

The EU has a role to play too. It must support the Greek authorities by helping to improve reception services instead of sealing off borders. The EU should also explore new ways of sharing responsibility for refugees and migrants.

“It is obviously Greece’s prerogative to control its borders, but not at the expense of the human rights of those trying to reach safety, or looking for a better life, in Europe. These are difficult times in Greece, and for millions across Europe, but there is no excuse for how refugees and migrants are being treated,” said Jezerca Tigani.

“Other EU Member States appear only too happy for Greece to act as their gatekeeper. But the policies and practices along the Greek border expose the bitter irony of European countries pressing for peace abroad while denying asylum to and putting at risk the lives of those seeking refuge in Europe. The EU must act now to stop these human rights violations at its borders,” she said.

“The very core of transition is strengthening Afghan national ownership and leadership. The onus for driving progress is thus on the Government of Afghanistan and the country’s leading political forces,” said Ján Kubiš, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan.

“There is, however, a clear need [for] sustained and predictable international support through 2014 and beyond in ways that reinforce Afghanistan’s leadership,” he added.

Briefing the Council on Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s latest report and the situation on the ground, Mr. Kubis noted that Afghan security forces have entered the last phase in assuming the lead responsibility for security throughout the country.

“Anti-Government elements are, however, seeking to counter this by targeting security personnel and terrorizing civilians,” he said. “They aim to shake the population’s confidence in the Government and its armed forces.”

From the beginning of the year until 6 June, more than 1,000 civilians have been killed and more than 2,000 injured, which is a 24 per cent increase in civilian casualties compared to the same period in 2012.

“Afghan security institutions fight bravely and bear the brunt of losses, show increased courage, confidence and competence in countering the intentions of the anti-Government elements,” said Mr. Kubiš.

“At the same time, the Afghan forces, notably the National Army, still require critical enablers such as air capacity to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability. It is for the international community to assist.”

In his report, Mr. Ban highlights a range of issues including an urgent need to finalize electoral legislations and appointments to Afghan electoral institutions for a timely presidential election next year, which will mark the political transition.

“A legitimate succession in leadership is key to the political transition,” he writes, adding that delays in the passage of electoral laws have added uncertainty among Afghan stakeholders over the intention of holding timely elections using a sound process that would provide a level playing field for all candidates.

Echoing those concerns, Mr. Kubis said that the two pieces of legislations governing the legal framework of future elections that are being discussed at various levels should be finalized without delay.

The first of the two laws defines the structure and responsibilities of the country’s Independent Election Commission (IEC), while the second concerns the main electoral law governing all future Afghan elections. The laws are expected to create a strong legal foundation for the holding of credible polls in Afghanistan, and their passing is reportedly tied up due to differences over provisions contained within them.

Also on the political front, Mr. Kubis expressed the hope that the current controversies and concerns around the Taliban office in Doha will soon be solved. He added that the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which he heads, stands ready to support all peace and reconciliation efforts based on and in full conformity with its mandate.

One staff member from the UN International Labour Organization (ILO) was also injured, according to a statement issued by Ján Kubiš, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). All are now receiving medical attention.

Mr. Kubiš added that all UN staff members in the capital have been accounted for.

The Taliban have claimed responsibility, alleging that their target was a “military rest house,” he said in the statement.

“The situation is reported to be under the control of Afghan security forces. The mopping-up operation continues, with sporadic arms fire still being heard.”

Mr. Kubiš extended his sympathies to all those harmed in the attack and their families, and said he is in touch with the leadership of the IOM, a UN-affiliated organization.

He also recognized with gratitude the “quick actions” of UN security personnel, including Ghurkha guards provided by the firm IDG Security, and Afghan security forces.

“Initial information indicates that one police officer was killed in action. I express my condolences to his family and my sympathies to all IDG Security personnel, Afghan police and security forces injured while bravely responding to this terrorist attack,” he stated.

“Providing education to girls and women is not against religious beliefs,” said Director General of the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), Irina Bokova, wrapping up a three-day visit to the country. “It enhances their opportunities to contribute to the development of their societies, to feel an integral part of them, and to benefit their families.”

In the capital, Kabul, Ms. Bokova visited the Ayesha-e-Durrani High School, named after the first Afghan women to open a school for local girls. Shuttered and damaged just a decade ago, today 1,600 students are enrolled in the school which includes computer and science laboratories.

“Here in this school I see the results of our work,” said Mrs. Bokova. “I have come here with a strong message of support. You are a country of ancient traditions and young talent.”

Despite positive changes in the education sector, three million Afghan children remain out of school. Of these, 70 per cent of these are girls, according to the latest figures cited by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

During a meeting with President Hamid Karzai and other senior officials, Ms. Bokova praised the Government for promoting girls’ education and enhancing literacy in the country and reiterated UNESCO’s continued support on such issues.

She also noted that while difficult to change mindsets and traditional, Afghan women need to be given assurances that they are full members of society.

Before returning to Paris today, Mrs. Bokova met with students and workers in Afghanistan’s cultural sector, and toured the country’s rebuilt National Museum.

UNESCO has been working with the museum, whose curators preserved some archaeological pieces by hiding them during decades of war, to create programmes that showcase Afghanistan’s vast and unique cultural legacy. Recently some important historical sites have come under threat from mining interests and the Director General urged authorities to step up their efforts to preserve the country’s heritage.

“Countries across the world strive to reconcile modernity and preservation of their cultural heritage assets,” she said. “The cultural heritage of Afghanistan will be the future economic and social asset of your country, it will provide self confidence and pride to the people of Afghanistan.”

The World Bank’s International Development Association (IDA) grant aims to help the government of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) expand the scope, quality and coverage of basic health and essential hospital services. SEHAT will cover both rural and urban areas in 22 of the country’s 34 provinces. It will also strengthen the national health system and build the capacity of the Ministry of Public Health to effectively perform its stewardship functions at the central and provincial levels.

“Provision of health care to its people remains one of the main priorities of the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan during the transition” said HE Dr. Omar Zakhailwal, Finance Minister, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

“While we have had significant improvements in access and quality of health care in Afghanistan over the last decade, more needs to be done. We are grateful to the World Bank’s contribution in this regard.”

SEHAT follows two earlier projects financed by the World Bank. With this new financing, the World Bank has provided a total of $335 million since 2003 including support from the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). This funding would be further supplemented by a proposed ARTF funded grant of $270 million including European Union and Government contribution of $30 million.

According to the World Bank, over the past decade, Afghanistan has made steady progress in the health sector. The number of health facilities in 11 target provinces nearly tripled from 148 to 432. Around 20,000 community health workers—half of them women—were trained and deployed throughout the country, increasing access to family planning and boosting childhood vaccinations. The number of facilities with trained female health workers rose from 25 percent before the project to 74 percent today. At the same time, the number of functioning health facilities increased from 496 to more than 2,000. These interventions have produced significant improvement in the coverage of reproductive and child health services, as well as a significant drop in maternal and child mortality.

“The World Bank’s support has been instrumental in enabling us to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, particularly women and children,” said HE Dr. Suraya Dalil, Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

“Providing a basic package of health services and an essential package of hospital services has proved to produce encouraging results, particularly in remote and underserved areas. As we continue to deliver our commitment in expanding provision of health services to all Afghans across the country, we appreciate the World Bank’s assistance at this crucial period of the transition process.”

Despite recent progress, the country faces significant challenges in the sector. Afghanistan’s infant and under-five mortality rates are still higher than the average for low income countries, and child malnutrition rates are among the highest in the world. About 55 percent of children under-five suffer from chronic malnutrition and women and children suffer from high levels of vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

The Ministry of Public Health will implement SEHAT program over a period of five years.

On Monday, at least nine civilians were killed and 20 injured after a bus hit a roadside bomb in Wardak province, in the east of the country. It is believed the Taliban are responsible for the attack.

A day earlier at least 12 civilians, including 10 children, were reportedly killed in the eastern province of Kunar in NATO airstrikes launched during a drawn-out fire fight between international (ISAF) and Afghan forces and the Taliban.

“It is imperative that NATO/ISAF fully investigate all allegations of civilian casualties resulting from their operations and deliver remedies, including prosecuting those suspected of violations. They must also provide compensation before troops withdraw next year, to avoid a legacy of unresolved claims,” said Polly Truscott, Amnesty International’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director.

“NATO/ISAF must demonstrate that, despite being the major multi-lateral partner to the Afghanistan government, it is not above the law in the conduct of its hostilities.”

The latest pair of attacks comes less than a week after another incident resulted in scores of civilian casualties.

On 3 April, at least 41 civilians were killed and more than 100 injured in an attack on an official compound in Farah province in south-western Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, despite previous public statements declaring the group’s commitment to reducing civilian casualties.

“All parties to the conflict must make a distinction between civilians and combatants,” said Truscott. “The laws of war prohibit indiscriminate attacks and deliberately targeting civilians for attack is a war crime.”

According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, 2,754 civilians were killed in the conflict during 2012, with international and Afghan forces responsible for eight per cent of those deaths.

The Taliban and other insurgent groups were responsible for 2,179 civilian deaths last year, largely as a result of the indiscriminate use of improvised explosive devices and targeted killings of civilians.

“NATO/ISAF states must accelerate efforts in assisting the Afghan government to create a mechanism to monitor and investigate civilian casualties and injuries and to ensure timely and effective remedies when such acts do occur,” said Truscott.

“Bringing security to Afghanistan hinges on all parties to the conflict – including the international forces – demonstrating respect for international human rights and international humanitarian law, as well as respect for the rule of law.”

Amnesty International reiterates its calls for the International Criminal Court to investigate suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity by all parties to the conflict in Afghanistan.