NATO must address human rights in meeting on Afghan

International and Afghan military forces must preserve the modest human rights gains of the past 12 years and ensure that the rights of the Afghan people are protected, Amnesty International said.

London: International and Afghan military forces must preserve the modest human rights gains of the past 12 years and ensure that the rights of the Afghan people are protected during and after the ongoing security transition, Amnesty International said on Monday.

"Afghanistan is going through a crucial period with the security transition well under way, and it is vital that human rights are not forgotten by the Afghan government or its international partners during this process," Isabelle Arradon, Deputy Asia Pacific Director of Amnesty International said on the eve of NATO meeting in Brussels on the future of the war-torn country. NATO defence ministers are meeting in Brussels on 4-5 June to discuss, among other things, the progress of transition of security responsibilities from NATO/ISAF forces to the national Afghan army and the post-2014 `transformation period`. "Afghanistan is going through a crucial period with the security transition well under way, and it is vital that human rights are not forgotten by the Afghan government or its international partners during this process," Isabelle Arradon, Deputy Asia Pacific Director of Amnesty International said. "The country is still facing enormous human rights challenges that must be top of any agenda that concerns Afghanistan?s future." Civilians continue to bear the brunt of the violence in the Afghan conflict, and concerns remain about the lack of accountability of Afghan and international security forces for civilian harm and loss of livelihoods resulting from their military operations. According to UN figures, more than 2,700 civilians were killed in 2012 with Afghan and ISAF forces responsible for eight per cent of the casualties. PTI