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 Under Secretary for Political Affairs > Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs > INL Programs > Country Program: Afghanistan > Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan

Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan

 

 Banner shows Afghan shepherd boy--State Dept. photo; Afghanistan Loya Jirga--AP/Wide World photo; The Justice Hall in Herat--State Dept. photo; Afghan prosecutors training in Kabul--State Dept. photo

Date: 03/20/2009 Description: Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan logo. State Dept PhotoOn January 4, 2004, Afghanistan's Constitutional Loya Jirga (Grand Assembly) approved a 162-article constitution establishing a presidential system of government with a bicameral legislature and paving the way for national elections later in 2004.

Donations at all levels are welcomed. Partner firms and lawyers - those contributing $50,000 or more over two years - will join senior Department of State officials and other interagency partners for a press conference, regular briefings from the U.S. Coordinator for Counternarcotics and Justice Reform in Afghanistan, and various other special events. Of course, any contribution of any lesser amount would also be welcomed.

The constitution was approved after three weeks of meetings in Kabul during which 502 male and female delegates, representing Afghanistan's various ethnic groups and geographic regions, debated and made compromises on a draft document before approving it by acclamation. The new constitution marks a historic step forward.

Afghans have made a great deal of progress in the justice sector since 2001, but much work remains to be done. The Afghan justice system needs to improve its human resource capacity through legal education and professional development. Judges and lawyers have minimal training and often base their work on their personal understanding of Islamic law and tribal codes without taking into account relevant Afghan laws.

The Afghan Government is working hard to establish the rule of law for its citizens. Today, the American private sector can extend a hand of friendship by joining the United States to support Afghanistan's vision for a free, democratic, and prosperous state based on the rule of law.

Afghan Legal Professionals to Study in the U.S.
The INL Bureau and the Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan are sponsoring three Afghan legal professionals to complete Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees at Harvard University and Washington and Lee University this fall. Full Text

State Magazine Features the Public-Private Partnership
Date: 05/01/2009 Description: State Magazine article: Justice Reform--Partnership Promotes Rule of Law in Afghanistan State Dept PhotoLaunched in December 2007, the Department’s Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan is an innovative initiative of the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, which leads U.S. justice-sector reform efforts in Afghanistan. Full Text

Reception with Former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'ConnorDate: 01/22/2009 Description: Members and supporters of the Public-Private Partnership with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day OConnor, at center. State Dept Photo
The Washington DC office of the international law firm, Jones Day, hosted a reception in honor of visiting Afghan women jurists with former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor as the special guest. Full Text

Secretary Clinton Meets Afghan Women LawyersDate: 01/23/2009 Location: Washington, DC Description: Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton Meets Afghan Women Lawyers at the Department of State. State Dept Photo
Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton met with fourteen prominent Afghan women judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys. These jurists were in Washington to participate in a training program arranged by the Department's Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan. Full Text

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