2. the national human rights institution mandate AFGHAN INDEPENDENT HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SUPPORT IN CHANGING LEGISLATION In Afghanistan, violence against women is a major obstacle to effective realization of ­reproductive rights. The Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission has prioritized this issue. In 2008, the Commission worked closely with the government in drafting a new law on violence against women. The law has been finalized and is now in force. The Office of the Attorney General established a new department dedicated to issues of violence against women which now operates in several provinces. ASSESSING WORKPLACE POLICIES AND BUILDING THE REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS COMPETENCE OF STAFF NHRIs can do a lot to further the cause of reproductive rights. To play such a role, however, there are some preconditions: 4. The NHRI should consider its mandate. Most NHRIs have a mandate that covers all human rights. Since the main global and regional human rights instruments protect reproductive rights, a mandate to protect and promote human rights in general also includes reproductive rights. Some NHRIs have a mandate that refers only to human rights protected by national law. If national law incorporates the provisions of the main international human rights instruments, either by reference or by repetition,2 even without mentioning reproductive rights directly, this will normally be a sufficient mandate. If national law limits the mandate to, for instance, civil and political rights, NHRIs can address the elements of 2 A law can incorporate an international convention by expressly mentioning the name of the convention, or the law can repeat the text of the convention. reproductive rights that are part of civil and political rights. 5. The main practical precondition is knowledge. The first step is to make sure that the NHRI has the necessary knowledge in house. Not only should the NHRI ensure that relevant texts (such as the ICPD Programme of Action, the various publications from OHCHR, UNFPA, WHO, etc.) are available; it must also ensure that there are staff members with knowledge of reproductive rights. Ideally, all professional staff members should have a basic knowledge of reproductive rights sufficient to identify such issues in their general work, just as all staff members are expected to have basic knowledge of all other areas of human rights. To secure such a broad knowledge, NHRIs should consider in-house training, combined with in depth education for staff working directly on reproductive rights issues. Relevant partners can be of 35