A/RES/64/11 against Women 8 and by the Afghan Constitution, and reiterates the continued importance of the full and equal participation of women in all spheres of Afghan life and of equality before the law and equal access to legal counsel without discrimination of any kind; 7F 40. Reiterates, in view of legislation recently adopted, the continued importance of upholding international obligations for the advancement of women’s rights, as enshrined in the Afghan Constitution, welcomes the presidential decree regarding the law on the elimination of violence against women and calls for its timely implementation, and appreciates the preparation by the Government of Afghanistan for reporting to the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in 2010; 41. Strongly condemns incidents of discrimination and violence against women and girls, in particular if directed against women activists and women prominent in public life, wherever they occur in Afghanistan, including killings, maimings and “honour killings” in certain parts of the country; 42. Welcomes the creation of a special fund for the protection of women at risk, set up by the United Nations Development Fund for Women with the support of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; 43. Also welcomes the implementation of the National Action Plan for Women in Afghanistan and the significant efforts by the Government of Afghanistan to counter discrimination, urges the Government to actively involve all elements of Afghan society, in particular women, in the development and implementation of relief, rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction programmes, and encourages the collection and use of statistical data on a sex-disaggregated basis to provide information on gender-based violence and to accurately track the progress of the full integration of women into the political, economic and social life of Afghanistan; 44. Further welcomes the achievements and stresses the need for continued progress in gender equality, in accordance with obligations under international law, and in the empowerment of women in Afghan politics, which will help to consolidate durable peace and national stability in Afghanistan, while noting the need to promote the empowerment of women also at the subnational level, to facilitate the access of women to employment and to ensure female literacy, professional training and entrepreneurship, and calls upon the international community to continue to support Afghan institutions in this regard; 45. Stresses the need to ensure respect for the human rights and fundamental freedoms of children in Afghanistan, welcomes the submission of the initial report of Afghanistan to the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and recalls the need for the full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 9 and the two Optional Protocols thereto 10 by all States parties, as well as of Security Council resolutions 1612 (2005) of 26 July 2005 and 1882 (2009) of 4 August 2009 on children and armed conflict; 8F 9F 46. Expresses its concern, in this regard, about the ongoing recruitment and use of children by illegal armed and terrorist groups in Afghanistan, as described in the report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Afghanistan of _______________ 8 United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1249, No. 20378. Ibid., vol. 1577, No. 27531. 10 Ibid., vols. 2171 and 2173, No. 27531. 9 8