WASHINGTON, DC, April 12, 2002 - The Consortium for Response to the Afghanistan Transition (CRAFT), a grouping of four organizations specializing in international rule of law, governance, and human rights assistance, released its report today detailing the immense challenges facing Afghanistan as it builds a new government, revives its justice system, and shapes human rights mechanisms for the post-Taliban era. The authors of the report based their findings on meetings held in Afghanistan throughout the past several weeks.

The report, Filling the Vacuum: Prerequisites to Security in Afghanistan, cautions that when governments fail, warlords or drug barons fill the vacuum. The way to address this insecurity is to help Afghans, through the institutions created by the Bonn Agreement, build viable indigenous systems that guarantee justice, human rights, and good governance.

Filling the Vacuum provides a rapid assessment and analysis of the current human rights, governance, and rule of law environment in Afghanistan, and gives voice to Afghan plans and views on these critical issues. It also identifies ways for the international community to support the Afghan transition.

Afghans can and must play the central role in rebuilding their nation after more than 23 years of conflict, according to the report. However, Afghanistan's transition needs the urgent help of the U.S. and international community. If this support is not provided, others will fill the resulting security vacuum, the report explains.

CRAFT is comprised of the International Human Rights Law Group* (www.hrlawgroup.org), the International Foundation for Election Systems (www.ifes.org), the Asia Law Initiative of the American Bar Association (www.abanet.org), and International Resources Group. Copies of the report are available electronically at consortium members' Web sites.

The Asia Law Initiative of the American Bar Association (ABA-Asia) is a public service project that advances the rule of law by supporting legal reforms in countries in that region. ABA-Asia assessed the state of rule of law in Afghanistan. The views in the CRAFT report are not ABA policy. The report has not been reviewed or approved by the ABA's House of Delegates or Board of Governors, and accordingly the views expressed in it are not those of the ABA. The American Bar Association is the largest voluntary professional membership association in the world. With more than 400,000 members, the ABA provides law school accreditation, continuing legal education, information about the law, programs to assist lawyers and judges in their work, initiatives to improve the legal system for the public, and assistance in support of the rule of law around the globe.

The International Human Rights Law Group* (IHRLG) is a non-profit organization of human rights and legal professionals from over 20 countries engaged in advocacy, strategic human rights lawyering and training around the world. IHRLG works towards the goal of empowering local advocates to expand the scope of human rights protections and promote broad participation in building human rights procedures at national, regional and international levels. IHRLG was responsible for human rights aspects of the assessment.

The International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) provides professional advice and technical assistance in promoting democracy, and serves as an information clearinghouse on democratic development. IFES concentrated on three areas of the post-conflict process in Afghanistan: governance, elections, and political process, and civil society issues as related to public processes.

International Resources Group (IRG) is an international professional services firm
with project experience in over 100 countries. IRG is committed to providing efficient management and cost-effective services that promote integrated approaches to development issues. IRG was responsible for the overall direction of the project
and for all management and logistics issues, and worked closely with ABA-Asia on
rule of law issues.

* International Human Rights Law Group is now Global Rights (www.globalrights.org)