UNDP Country Director meeting with His Excellency Minister of Justice

Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, the new Country Director for UNDP and the accompanying delegate visited Saranpoh Habibullah “Ghalib” the Minister of Justice of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in his office.

At the beginning Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, the new UNDP CD, congratulated the new year to Minister of Justice and expressed his pleasure on his visit with the Minister of Justice as his first visit with the authorities of the government of Afghanistan.

The newly assigned Country Director of UNDP took the New Year as a suitable opportunity for commencing work and renewing the past commitments. He hoped that the activities will accelerate on increasing the human resource and asked the Minister of Justice for holding monthly or every six week session if possible, to help the smooth and cooperative running of the activities even more than before.

Thereafter, H.E. Minister of Justice, in addition to expressing his pleasure on meeting him, hoped the activity to be started seriously with a new vision and removal of deficiencies. His Excellency also spoke on the enthusiasm of the ministry of justice regarding the project adding that; the part of the project related to human rights have been accepted and supported by the donors, therefore, I hope that the two more parts maintaining close relationship with each other namely the legal aids and legal awareness will also be supported by donors.

Responding a question regarding the authorities of the center and provinces and women’s rights in the ministries, he added that; the law of the local governance is under work considering the authorities for provinces. The big economic projects relating to parliament should be implemented through center with the cooperation of the provinces and the authorities of the small projects are to be given to provinces.

Regarding the existence of problems in recruitment of high ranking employees in provinces His Excellency also recalled that; the low level employees are recruited through provinces while the high level employees are hired through center causing problems in recruitment process.

The employment of employees of one province in another requires more privileges and in most cases, the employees are not ready to go from one province to another. I hope this problem to be addressed by approving the Local Governance Law and offering more authorities to provinces as well as the monitoring role of the provincial councils is to improve.

On the women’s rights in ministries his Excellency stated that; since we have a traditional community depending on Islamic law and regulations and that all laws in Islamic communities are formed based on Islamic laws therefore, the performances and activities should be conducted gradually and any improvising activity and unforeseen change can cause negative reaction.

It is to mention that Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, UNDP CD has previously been in the same position as UNDP country director in Somalia and Pakistan. Now he is UNDP CD for Afghanistan.