Consultative Meeting in Balkh Province on the Role of Justice Departments in Drafting the Forthcoming Strategy of Ministry of Justice

September 28^th 2018

The Policy and Planning Directorate of Ministry of Justice held its second consultative meeting in financial and technical cooperation of GIZ Rule of Law Unit. A number of thirty five provincial employees of Justice Departments of Balkh, Samangan, Faryab, Jozjaan, Baghlan, North Zone Women Affairs Departments, representatives of justice organizations and Afghanistan Independent Bar Association were the invitees to this gathering in Balkh Province with an aim to collect their viewpoints and suggestions and to consequently incorporate those into the forthcoming draft strategy of Ministry of Justice.

Shaoonwal Shah Wali Attaee- Director Policy and Planning Directorate of Ministry of Justice, besides thanking GIZ Rule of Law Unit for their continued cooperation with the Ministry of Justice; highlighted that the leading purpose of this meeting is to brainstorm or collect the viewpoints of stakeholders and employees of Justice departments for the purpose of drafting the forthcoming strategy of Ministry of Justice.

Following that, Mr. Florien the Advisor Rule of Law GIZ, said that the Rule of Law GIZ is functional in four areas including cooperation with the Ministry of Justice in the center and provincial justice departments level. This Unit continues to its cooperation with Universities to support the legal clinics, and with the Ministry of Women affairs and its provincial departments, Afghanistan Independent Bar Association, Ministry of Education and Ministry of Hajj & Endowment for supporting the official Madrasas. He added that the key partner to Rule of Law GIZ; is the Ministry of Justice and its provincial departments.

In addition to that; Mohammad Amir Fayeq a GIZ staff stated that GIZ as a donor agency to Ministry of Justice is resolved to conduct consultative meetings in six zones of the country for the purpose of having viewpoints of stakeholders and justice departments employees and including them into the draft new strategy of Ministry of Justice. Subsequent to the end of these meetings; a national conference in the center participated by all heads of provincial justice departments and another conference attended by the civil society organizations and Justice organs will be convened in Kabul in cooperation with the rule of law GIZ. Then the draft of the new strategy will be prepared and at the beginnings of the year 1398 be presented to the leadership of Ministry of Justice for approval.

Furthermore, in this meeting, Zabiullah Jawad (Policy and Strategy Advisor to the Ministry of Justice) presented the summary of the findings of research report titled “The Survey of Law and Justice Quinquennial Strategy (1393-1397).