E/2004/27 E/CN.6/2004/14 Discrimination against Women, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto on the involvement of children in armed conflict and on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the further actions and initiatives to implement the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, adopted by the General Assembly at its twenty-third special session, accepted humanitarian rules as set out in the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and other instruments of human rights and international law, “Recalling that Afghanistan is a party to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Optional Protocols thereto, the Conventions of 12 August 1949, and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, “Reaffirming that all States have an obligation to promote and protect human rights and fundamental freedoms, “Recalling the importance of the implementation of Security Council resolutions 1325 (2000), on women and peace and security, and 1460 (2003), on children and armed conflict, and in this context recognizing the recent Security Council mission to Afghanistan, from 13 October to 8 November 2003, which reviewed, inter alia, the humanitarian and human rights situation of women, “Welcoming the entry into force on 26 January 2004 of a new Constitution following the successful outcome of the Constitutional Loya Jirga, at which women played a prominent and crucial role, while also welcoming particularly the provisions of the new Constitution which state that the citizens of Afghanistan, whether men or women, are equal before the law and that at least two women are to be elected to the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) from each province, as a national average, and which provide for half of the President’s nominees to the Meshrano Jirga (Upper House of Parliament) to be women, “Welcoming also the continuing commitment of the Afghan Transitional Administration to the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms by women and girls, to the restoration of the active participation of Afghan women in political, economic and social life, to the education of girls as well as boys and to the opportunity for women to work outside the home, “Welcoming further the fact that the Back-to-School campaign launched by the Ministry of Education and the United Nations Children’s Fund has been a major success and 4.2 million children are now enrolled in school, while recognizing the need for the enrolment rate of girls in school to improve considerably, “Welcoming the inclusion of women in the Transitional Administration, the Judicial Reform Commission, the Independent Human Rights Commission, 35