Afghanistan Analysts Network – English

Sari Kouvo

Feminist Perspectives on Contemporary International Law: Between Resistance and Compliance?

Sari Kouvo •

Sari Kouvo and Zoe Pearson, Hart Publishing Ltd. The edited volume reflects on the role of international law in the post-9/11 era. It includes a chapter by Sari Kouvo discussing the international engagement for women’s rights in Afghanistan 2001 to 2010. The full publication can be found below: Feminist Perspectives on Contemporary International Law: Between […]

External publications Read more

Victims Organisations Sound a Wake-up Call

Sari Kouvo •

AAN continues its analysis of civil society’s role in and ability to influence the processes unfolding in Afghanistan. AAN’s Sari Kouvo and Obaid Ali participated in the National Victims Conference held in Kabul 30-31 March. The National Victims’ Conference held in Kabul 30-31 March brought together representatives from victims and martyrs organizations, civil society and […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Shelters in the Storm: The Controversy over Women’s Safehouses

Sari Kouvo •

The Afghan government accuses women’s shelters of corruption, while women’s rights advocates criticize the government for believing rumors rather than facts and succumbing to the pressure of conservatives. Whatever the outcome of this controversy, the victims are likely to be the women who have sought refuge in the shelters – most of them fleeing situations […]

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What comes after remembering? Some thoughts after National Victims Day in Afghanistan

Sari Kouvo •

There are days when Afghanistan’s sadness becomes overwhelming. For us, the Afghan National Victims’ Day was such a day. AAN Senior Analyst Sari Kouvo and Political Researcher Obaid Ali participated in the Afghan National Victims’ Day demonstration and commemoration. Around forty women and men have already gathered when we early Friday morning arrived at Kabul’s […]

War and Peace Read more

Facts for reconciliation: Human rights documentation needed

Sari Kouvo •

Over the past month a rather heated debate has arisen first over the leaked and then over the formally released UN mapping of human rights violations and war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This debate has also drawn attention to other hidden UN gems, most notably to the unreleased UN mapping report […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Looking Back: An Afghanistan Watch Analysis of the Voting Patterns in the First Parliament

Sari Kouvo •

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 […]

Political Landscape Read more

The Civilian Cost of Armed Conflict in Afghanistan: An Overview of Recent Reports

Sari Kouvo •

In July, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and UNAMA published their mid-year reports on civilian casualties and protection of civilians in the conflict in Afghanistan. AAN Senior Analyst, Sari Kouvo, takes a closer look at patterns identified on violations against – and protection of – civilians in the war in Afghanistan and brings in […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

Six years late, the Constitutional Commission is formed; but will it take on president and parliament?

Sari Kouvo •

One of the many ambiguities in the Afghan Constitution is on who has the authority to interpret the Constitution. For no obvious reason a mix of both judicial and legislative oversight was smuggled into the Constitution when it was adopted in 2004. Six years later, the Independent Commission for the Supervision of the Implementation of […]

Rights and Freedoms Read more

After two years in legal limbo: A first glance at the approved ‘Amnesty law’

Sari Kouvo •

(Updated: 30 September 2017) – Impunity is certainly a problem in Afghanistan, but now impunity has been made into law. The so-called amnesty law (now titled the National Reconciliation, General Amnesty and National Stability Law) was published in the official gazette in December 2008 (Qaus 1387). While opinions differ about whether the law was formally passed […]

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Hamed Karzai addresses media representatives during a press conference. AFP PHOTO/SHAH Marai/2009

AAN Election Blog No. 20: Armchair analyst

Sari Kouvo •

Distance can provide perspective, at least that is what armchair analysts like myself try to convince ourselves. However, having monitored two elections in Afghanistan, I know that distance also means that one misses the political undercurrents and the real stories behind facts and figures. During the first Presidential elections, Bob Dylan’s song ‘Black Diamond Bay’ […]

Political Landscape Read more

Theatre about conflict – and how we all have to relate to it

Sari Kouvo •

Mid-June, I had the opportunity see the revival performance of a play entitled ‘AH 7808’ that toured most Afghan regional capitals in 2008. The play is an adaptation of an Irish script addressing conflict and each individual’s responsibility to overcome it. Through the play, the audience gets to take part in one man’s struggle to […]

International Engagement Read more

A few thoughts on the UN Human Rights Council and its review of the Afghan government’s periodic report

Sari Kouvo •

On 7 May 2009, the Afghan government presented its first report to the UN Human Rights Council. If I am rightly informed, the Afghan government received around one hundred recommendations that should be discussed, refused or adopted. If adopted, the Afghan government should by the time of the next review show if and how it […]

International Engagement Read more

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