Rome conference on Afghan rule of law begins

As instability threatens to compromise the justice system in Afghanistan, experts and officials gather in Rome this week to develop a plan for a sustainable legal system, The Associated Press reported Sunday.

After over 25 years of near-constant violence in Afghanistan, the conference will emphasize justice, human rights, legislative processes and law enforcement coordination. “The aim of the conference is to stress how the justice system represents a priority ... to consolidate democracy in Afghanistan,” said Pasquale Ferrara, spokesman for Italy’s Foreign Ministry.

Conference attendees include Afghan President Hamid Karzai, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Italian Foreign Minister Massimo D’Alema. Other guests include the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State and the NATO Secretary General.

“We need to have a plan for the next five years, perhaps not necessarily a comprehensive, full-blown strategy, but we need to have some sort of a plan that talks about where we’re going to be in five years,” remarked Geralyn Busnardo of the International Development Law Organization. “That was something that was not well done for the past five years.”

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