From helping to manage a complex national budget, to developing a standard administrative and legislative system, to training and providing expert advice to government employees and managers, Canada is working hard to establish a sustainable public service culture in Afghanistan.

The Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) was established in 2002 as one of the major instruments through which international aid dollars could be coordinated to fund priority services offered by the Government of Afghanistan.

Jointly managed by the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program, the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, it is structured to ensure aid effectiveness.

Canada has been and remains a major contributor to the Trust Fund.

Our support helps to reimburse the costs of the day-to-day operations of the government and contributes to two priority national programs for the economic and social development of Afghanistan—the national microcredit program and the National Solidarity Program.

During the past year, more than 250,000 civil servant monthly salaries were reimbursed from the ARTF.

Rule of law

Canada supported the development of an Afghan transitional justice action plan that takes a multi-faceted approach to addressing past injustices. This is an important tool to build public confidence in the Afghan government.

The Peace, Justice and Reconciliation plan, endorsed by the Afghan Cabinet, provides a framework for addressing past injustices over the short, medium and long term. It envisages employing a wide range of mechanisms, including vetting the public service, and ending impunity from prosecution, including from prosecution against war crimes.

In addition, Canada is working on legal education issues with the Afghan Ministry of Justice and the University of Kabul’s Faculty of Law, providing legal training for new law graduates, promoting legal awareness and rendering legal practice more professional.

Human rights

Canada is helping the Afghan government to establish monitoring and reporting systems for use with the various human rights treaties to which Afghanistan is a party.

The Afghan Constitution recognizes that women have the same rights as men. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of Taliban rule, many women are not aware of their rights. The Montreal-based organization Rights and Democracy has already trained more than 6,000 women to speak to their fellow Afghans, both men and women, on the importance of respecting women’s rights to go to school, to express themselves and to live in security. These women have encouraged thousands of families to send their daughters to school.

Thanks to Canada’s financial support, Rights and Democracy has opened many centres for women throughout Afghanistan, providing them with legal advice and assistance.

These centres also provide legal aid to women who cannot afford a lawyer. Hundreds of women across Afghanistan have already benefited from these services. Some centres provide a safe location where women can take refuge from a violent husband or simply to have a roof over their heads. This approach is new to Afghanistan and hundreds of women have already taken advantage of these services. These centres also provide basic services such as literacy training and health care.