Notice to the Press Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC June 18, 2008 Panel Discussion on Justice Reform in AfghanistanOn Thursday, June 19, the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs will host a panel discussion for law students working at DC law firms on Bringing the Rule of Law to a War-Torn Country. This event is part of the newly launched Public-Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan and will take place in the Dean Acheson Auditorium at 3:00 p.m. The panelists are Ambassador Thomas A. Schweich, Coordinator for Counternarcotics and Justice Reform in Afghanistan, Joan D. Winship, Executive Director of the International Association of Women's Judges, and the Honorable Stephen G. Larson, U.S. District Court Judge for the Central District of California. The purpose of the event is to raise public awareness of the needs of Afghanistan’s justice sector and to discuss the challenges associated with rule of law development in Afghanistan. Launched by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in December 2007, the Public Private Partnership for Justice Reform in Afghanistan is an opportunity for America's legal community to support rule-of-law development in Afghanistan. The Partnership allows law firms and law schools to demonstrate their commitment to improving the justice system in Afghanistan by funding low-cost, high-impact projects promoting women's rights, access to justice, legal aid, professional development, and other important justice-related activities. In just over five months, the Partnership has received more than one million dollars in monetary and in-kind contributions from law firms, law schools and individuals within the United States. More information about the Public-Private Partnership is available for download from the State Department website at http://www.state.gov/p/inl/partnership/index.htm Interested press should contact: Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs 2008/505 |