OHCHR / AFGHANISTAN GILMOUR

United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that accountability and justice are key to achieving peace in Afghanistan. OHCHR / UNAMA

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:29
• Production Date: 9 May 2018
• Asset Language: English
• Corporate Name: OFFICE OF THE UNITED NATIONS HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS - OHCHR
• Subject Topical: PEACE
• Geographic Subject: AFGHANISTAN
• MAMS Id: 2147749
• Parent Id: 2147749
• Alternate Title: unifeed180509d

Description

STORY: OHCHR / AFGHANISTAN GILMOUR
TRT:01:29
SOURCE: OHCHR / UNAMA
RESTRICTION: PLEASE CREDIT OHCHR AND UNAMA ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 9 MAY 2018, KABUL, AFGHANISTAN

Shotlist

1. Wide shot, UN car
2. Close up, UN car
3. Med shot, ASG Gilmour meeting with Sima Samar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC).
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, United Nations:
“Peace does not just mean the absence of war and justice is an absolutely core component. Accountability for perpetrators is an absolutely key prerequisite in terms, both for victims and survivors but also for sustainable peace, for reconciliation.”
5. Various shots, participants
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Andrew Gilmour, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, United Nations:
“Country after country fighting terrorism - the mistakes are made of fighting that war against terrorism in such a way that more terrorists are created than there were before they started fighting the war against it. And the reason is very simple, the war against terrorism is normally fought using such unintelligent, such brutal means and such a refusal to consider any accountability means that it creates yet further enemies for the government.”
7. Various shots, conference room

Storyline

United Nations (UN) Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said that accountability and justice are key to achieving peace in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a conference in the Afghan city Kabul today (09 May), Gilmour said “peace does not just mean the absence of war - and justice is an absolutely core component.”

He added “accountability for perpetrators is absolutely key prerequisite in terms, both for victims and survivors but also for sustainable peace, for reconciliation.”

Gilmour, who is in the country for an official visit, described an amnesty law passed by Afghanistan’s parliament in 2007 as a “negative signal” that indicates powerful people were unwilling to have their past crimes exposed, investigated and prosecuted.

On governments’ use of force in the fight against terrorism, the Assistant Secretary-General said “country after country fighting terrorism - the mistakes are made of fighting that war against terrorism in such a way that more terrorists are created than there were before they started fighting the war against it.”

He added “the reason is very simple, the war, against terrorism, is normally fought using such unintelligent, such brutal means and such a refusal to consider any accountability – means that it creates yet further enemies for the government.”

Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) continues to document war-related civilian deaths in spates of horrific violence.

The Assistant Secretary-General was speaking at the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, during a conference on Accountability, Human Rights, Justice and Peace.