Kabul, Afghanistan. 10 December 2020 - The Royal Danish Embassy and UNDP inaugurated the hand-over ceremony of new office space built by UNDP Anti-Corruption, Transparency, Integrity & Openness Project (ACTION) and funded by the Royal Danish Embassy.

The improved office spaces are a key aspect in ensuring a safe and secure working environment which should increase the productivity and efficiency of current projects being undertaken to combat corruption, and daily routine work at ACJC. Having a relaxed office environment and workplace will enhance the general wellbeing of staff, and enable them to focus and concentrate on the difficult tasks in hand.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony regarding the under construction kindergarten, Munira Baharaki, Chief Appeal Court Judge said: “A good work environment brings safety to employees' physical and mental capabilities in performing their daily routine. The kindergarten facility will assist women in the ACJC to work in a calm environment, making sure they are near to their children while working, and this initiative will further encourage women to work in the ACJC.”

UNDP Resident Representative for Afghanistan, Mr. Abdallah Al Dardari, thanked the Attorney General Office (AGO) for their continued support and partnership with UNDP and reiterated the enormous importance of the UNDP’s support for the government’s anti-corruption initiative.

 “I am delighted to be here at ACJC today for this event. It gives me immense pleasure to be here just the day after International Anti-Corruption Day, which was celebrated across 21 Provinces and in Kabul this year. Corruption in Afghanistan is an acute driver of insecurity and public mistrust in state institutions, affecting every aspect of daily life of Afghan civilians.” said Mr Dardari.

Also present was H.E, the Ambassador of Denmark in Afghanistan, Ms. Mette Knudsen who stressed the importance of fighting corruption in Afghan society, and said that an improved and more secure work environment will be highly conducive to bringing perpetrators of high-level, complex corruption crimes to justice.

The Ambassador said: “Work environment and office space is important, but more important is the work inside these offices which we will continue to provide support to during the next years through the UNDP’s ACTION project.”

The ACTION project is supporting the ACJC to focus on combating corruption and enhance its capacity to address high-level corruption cases.

The Royal Danish Embassy in Afghanistan support the ACTION project and will contribute an additional 10 M Danish Krone to the ACTION project in order to drive the Anti-Corruption agenda forward. ACTION project will use the additional funding to continue the capacity enhancement program for judges, prosecutors and staff of ACJC in both technical and functional areas, and will continue to work with civil society organisations (CSO) in more provinces in 2021.