The British Council is working with the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), to help it establish connections with other human rights commissions around the world, so as to share experience and knowledge on the best ways to protect and promote human rights.

This forms part of a wider British Council project, mostly focussed on the Commonwealth, which aims to develop an effective network and support system for human right commissions, in order to improve and increase the impact of their work. The project is based around proactive information exchange, the development of learning materials, and the provision of training in key technical and/or operating skills.

The AIHRC was established in 2002 as a consequence of the Bonn Agreement to promote and protect human rights in Afghanistan. It currently focuses on five areas:

			monitoring and investigation of human rights violations and abuses
			protection and promotion of women’s rights
			protection and promotion of children’s rights
			human rights education
			transitional justice.

Within the British Council’s project, the AIHRC has taken part in workshops on disability and human rights, on the effectiveness of human rights commissions, on the methods for holding public inquiries into human rights abuses, and on using the UN mechanisms for protecting human rights.

For more information about the British Council’s project, see:  http://www.britishcouncil.org/governance/jusrig/CHRC.htm.

For more information about the AIHRC, see: http://www.aihrc.org.af/