Justice and Prison Reform
Good governance is impossible without the legal frame in place. In partnership with other players, UNODC's work is essential in promoting and supporting the implementation of Afghanistan's pending counter-narcotics law. At the national and provincial level, we focus on enhancing the legislative regimes, institutional mechanisms and human capacities to prosecute crimes, with a particular interest in corruption and drug-related criminality. Through the "Provincial Justice Initiative", UNODC, in cooperation with the International Institute of Higher Studies in Criminal Sciences (ISISC), supports the establishment of a functioning criminal justice system at the provincial level in Afghanistan.
Seeking immediate and concrete human impact we aim for a humane approach within the detention centers, with a specific onus on the most vulnerable - women. UNODC therefore provides assistance with critical infrastructure in prison settings; and trains prison wardens and managers in humane detention, including the management of drug addiction and the reintegration of female prisoners. We support detained women with educational and vocational training, to help them start a new life after imprisonment. Technical advisory services to relevant Afghan institutions and social and psychological support for detainees are part of the service package, implemented through a psycho-social counseling training for female prison staff. UNODC is now responding to bad conditions and overcrowding in prisons, by supporting the Government of Afghanistan in developing alternatives to imprisonment and keeping addicts out of detention through preventive measures.
At the regional level, we ensure that officials can take advantage of the legal tools at their disposal in pursuit of cross-border crime. With the UN Narcotics Conventions, UNCAC and UN Convention on Transnational Organized Crime's at our core, UNODC assists with the development of legislative and regulatory regimes that support effective cooperation among Afghanistan and neighboring countries, with a focus on our specialist expertise in drugs, money laundering, human trafficking and intelligence-sharing. UNODC's leadership within the national/international Criminal Law Reform Working Group has integrated Mutual Legal Cooperation into the revised draft Afghan Criminal Procedure Code.