Between Rhetoric and Reality: Access to health care and its limitations While the world’s attention is focused on the withdrawal of international forces and the security handover, people in Afghanistan continue to die because they do not have access to adequate healthcare. The health system is frequently held up as a glowing example of the aid efforts of the international community, and since 2002 much progress […] 2 Dec 2014 Frank Dorner • Lena Langbein • Economy, Development, Environment
Return of the Goodwill? London conference as symbol of a new start Initially, the upcoming London Conference on Afghanistan (3 and 4 December) was supposed to be a hard check on the Afghan leadership’s governance standards. Corruption, women’s rights, elections – how did the country do, and would it deserve fresh aid commitments? However, the new government to discuss these things is, except for president and CEO, […] 1 Dec 2014 Christine Roehrs • Economy, Development, Environment
Thematic Dossier VI: Women, Rights and Politics Women’s rights have been high up on the agenda of the international community since the start of its intervention more than 13 years ago. How successful has it been? Where do Afghan women stand in 2014 – and where will they be in just a few years time? Observers, national and international, are worried that […] 30 Nov 2014 AAN Team • Dossiers
Shame and Impunity: Is violence against women becoming more brutal? A father raping his daughter over almost ten years without the family daring to intervene (except to help with abortions); a woman burnt after a family fight; another woman mutilated because her husband enjoyed doing so – these are just some of the cases of violence against women and girls that have been reported in […] 30 Nov 2014 Wazhma Samandary • Rights and Freedoms
The ‘Other Guantanamo’ (11): More transfers, a court’s scrutiny and possible redress The United States military spokesman has confirmed to AAN that another detainee has left the detention facility on Bagram Airbase, a ‘German-Moroccan’, Muhammad Abdullawi. A Russian detainee, named by the US military as Irek Hamidullan, has also been flown out – to the US to appear in a federal court on terrorism charges; the first […] 28 Nov 2014 Kate Clark • War and Peace
Wolesi Jirga Resolutely in Favour of NATO Support: BSA and SOFA take next hurdle The Wolesi Jirga today (23 November 2014) approved the long-delayed bilateral security agreement (BSA) with the United States and the Status of Force Agreement (SOFA) with NATO. Although the Afghan Senate’s approval is still pending, this vote opens the door for the start of the ISAF-successor Mission Resolute Support. AAN senior analyst Thomas Ruttig and […] 24 Nov 2014 Thomas Ruttig • Wazhma Samandary • International Engagement
One Thousand Dollars for Books per Year: Afghanistan’s undersupplied universities Afghan university students still do not have proper textbooks. Their professors give them so-called ‘chapters’ – copies of excerpts from lecture notes or books that are often out-dated. Libraries on the other hand remain underfunded dumping grounds for donated books that mostly do not fit needs, curricula or lecture contents. Why is that still so, […] 23 Nov 2014 Christine Roehrs • Economy, Development, Environment
Cult, Culture and the Need for Public Education: Why the National Museum in Kabul has little meaning for Afghans The National Museum has been a powerful symbol in the portrayal of Afghanistan’s recovery since 2002 and focus of intense international attention. However, the ‘narrative of loss’ that runs through portrayals of the museum’s recent history tends to displace serious discussion as to its role as an institution in today’s Afghanistan. After more than a […] 21 Nov 2014 Jolyon Leslie • Context and Culture
Agreement on Strategic Partnership between the Kingdom of Norway and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan The copy of the agreement can be found here. 20 Nov 2014 admin • International documents on Afghanistan
Chequers Summit Joint Statement – 4 February 2013 In the third trilateral meeting Prime Minister and leaders of Afghanistan and Pakistan note significant progress since September 2012. The joint statement can be found here. 20 Nov 2014 admin • International documents on Afghanistan
