Furthermore, all parties must respect the achievements of the past decade, in...

Furthermore, all parties must respect the achievements of the past decade, in particular Afghanistan's international human rights obligations and core principles enshrined in the Afghan Constitution. Women's rights and the empowerment of women should be critical elements of the peace process, and must remain on the top of our agenda. Violence against women remains a major challenge, and the legal rights that Afghan women now enjoy need to be protected through the transition. In that regard, we welcome the Afghan Government's recent publication of its first report to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women.