No Time to Lose: Promoting the Accountability of the Afghan National Security Forces

Overview

By the end of 2014, the Afghan national army and police – under the authority of the Ministries of Defence and Interior, respectively – are expected to assume full responsibility for the protection of Afghan civilians.

But, as international military actors prepare for withdrawal, there are serious concerns regarding the professionalism and accountability of the security forces they will leave behind. The report urges states supporting the national security forces to: Improve the quality of training for the national forces – ensuring that all components of the security forces are appropriately trained in human rights and international humanitarian law, and that training for the police includes sufficient emphasis on accountability, good governance, the rule of law, and community-based policing; Provide more substantial political and financial support to Afghan government institutions and mandated independent bodies that receive and investigate complaints against the national forces.

States must also support the Afghan government to ensure that: Personnel who abuse their authority, violate codes of conduct or otherwise fail to fulfil their obligations under Afghan or international law are transparently investigated and appropriately disciplined and/or prosecuted; Incidents resulting in civilian harm are properly monitored and followed by credible investigations.