I. Introduction

Three imperatives describe the scope of Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan: security, governance and development. And together these imperatives are advanced by a systematic Canadian concentration on improving Afghanistan’s rule of law. The dynamic here is compelling. A strong and just rule of law helps create social peace, personal security and a ready alternative to violent conflict; it demonstrates and reinforces responsible and effective governance; and it promotes the reliable foundation of order and confidence that lasting development requires. By taking practical action to help Afghans strengthen the rule of law, Canada is contributing to the development of a more peaceful, better governed Afghanistan.

This quarterly report addresses Canada’s engagement in Afghanistan from January 1 to March 31, 2009, and gives particular attention to improving the rule of law as one of the central elements in Canada’s mission there. As with past quarters, future reports will take up similarly timely and significant aspects of our Afghan engagement while surveying progress on all of Canada’s priority objectives.

Improving the rule of law means improving police and prisons. More than that, it means improving Afghanistan’s justice system with more capable judges and lawyers. It means suppressing corruption. And it means enabling the greater exercise of human rights—including the rights of women and girls.

Canada pursues rule-of-law reform, and the other priority components of our engagement in Afghanistan, in the context of continuing warfare against the Afghan insurgency. As in past years, the overall intensity of insurgent violence declined somewhat during the winter quarter from the unprecedented levels of last year’s summer and fall quarters. But these latest three months saw more combat deaths among Canadian and other coalition forces than in any previous winter quarter since the removal of the Taliban regime in 2001. Casualty rates were attributable in part to an increasing tempo of Canadian and coalition security operations, conducted with Afghan forces against the insurgency.

These operations are essential to meeting the insurgent threat. But in the end, marginalizing the insurgency and securing a degree of peace will demand governance that is recognized by Afghans themselves as legitimate and dependable in delivering security and basic services. A stronger and more just rule of law will be a necessary part of that legitimacy and effectiveness. This is the inescapable logic and purpose of Canada’s rule-of-law focus—to help create the conditions in which Afghans can govern their own country in more security and advance their own development.