Based in Kabul, the Afghanistan Watch focuses on activities that promote justice, respect for human rights and a culture of accountability and transparency in the country. Recognizing the need for greater understanding of the perils and opportunities facing Afghanistan today, the organization aims to conduct in-depth research and publish reports and papers on issues relevant to its goals and values independently or in partnership with other national and international organizations.

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What lessons can be drawn from the first parliamentary cycle? What voting patterns and political alignments have developed in the parliament? What ideas, ideologies and powers have been at play when the parliament voted for the Mass Media Law, the National Reconciliation Charter or the Higher Education Law? These are some of the questions addressed in Afghanistan Watch’s report ‘The First Experience - Voting Patterns and Political Alignments in the Wolesi Jirga 2005-2010’. Sari Kouvo, AAN Co-Director, takes a closer look at the research conducted by Afghanistan Watch and funded by AAN

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Speech of Jalil Benish for the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC

Distinguished members of the Assembly of States Parties of the ICC, Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen:

My name is Jalil Benish of Afghanistan Watch from Kabul, Afghanistan, speaking on behalf of my colleagues in the Coalition for the ICC- Asia-Pacific.

We are witnessing a definite trend towards accountability for the most serious crimes in the Asia Pacific – a region that has seen horrible atrocities being committed in the past and present and yet is one of the most underrepresented before the ICC. Of the six ratifications for 2011, three of them – the Philippines in Southeast Asia, Maldives in South Asia and Vanuatu in the Pacific – are in Asia-Pacific, bringing to a total of 17 the states parties to the ICC from the region. On this occasion, we would also like to commend the government of Malaysia for having completed the necessary steps within the domestic level for accession to the Rome Statute, and call on it promptly deposit its instrument of accession, thus bringing to 18 the total number of states parties in the region.

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Website link: Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC)

Aljazeera

A report released this month by the Afghanistan Watch organisation and funded by the Afghan Analysts Network characterised parliament as being wracked by continual ethnic and sectarian fights, throwing obstacles in front of processes such as approving effective cabinet nominees.

The report quoted Kabir Ranjbar, a member of parliament, as saying that "the approaches based on ethnicity, language and religion have been a main point of the Wolesi Jirga’s weakness and the main factor for approval of the incapable and inefficient ministers. If the [members of parliament] had considered the national interests during the process of confidence voting for the cabinet nominees, the consequent confusions would have been prevented."

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Middle East Institute Viewpoints: Afghanistan, 1979-2009: In the Grip of Conflict • www.mei.edu

By: Abdul Jalil Benish, director of Afghanistan Watch

Impunity in Afghanistan is like an unwritten law which benefits the wealthiest and most powerful criminals.

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Niamatullah Ibrahimi, Co-Founder of Afghanistan Watch writes on The Relevance of the ICC in the Context of Afghanistan in the ICC Monitor, the Journal of the Coalition of the International Criminal Court

The relevance of the ICC has been keenly felt in Afghanistan since 2001. During this period, human rights violations have continued unabated, a culture of impunity and lack of accountability has been further entrenched, and the Afghan state has displayed a chronic lack of commitment to hold accountable those responsible for heinous crimes and massive human rights abuses.

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