Implementing International Human Rights Law in Post Conflict Settings - Backlash without Buy-In: Lessons from Afghanistan

Leanne M Smith

doi:10.2202/1554-4419.1146

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Implementing International Human Rights Law in Post Conflict Settings - Backlash without Buy-In: Lessons from Afghanistan

Published/Copyright: April 7, 2009

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From the journal Muslim World Journal of Human Rights Volume 5 Issue 1

This paper explores the difficulties of implementing international human rights standards in post conflict states, particularly in Islamic States, using Afghanistan as a case study. The paper will submit that imposing international human rights law with a ‘top down' approach is ineffective, using the example of the western-style Afghan constitution which contains many human rights protections, such as freedom of religion, that cannot be realized in contemporary Afghan society. It will be argued that a more transparent, consultative and long-term approach to human rights implementation should be taken in post conflict situations, if ‘human rights' is to be more than a catch phrase for membership of the international community.

Keywords: Afghanistan; human rights; international law; constitutional law; freedom of religion; Abdul Rahman

Published Online: 2009-4-7

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https://doi.org/10.2202/1554-4419.1146

Keywords for this article

Afghanistan; human rights; international law; constitutional law; freedom of religion; Abdul Rahman