The first step in the analysis of IPA is to identify a particular part of the country with regard to which the criteria of Article 8 QD would be examined in the individual case.

This analysis focuses on the three cities of Kabul, Herat, and Mazar-e Sharif for the following main preliminary considerations:

■ Accessibility: the cities have functioning airports with domestic and/or international flights;

■ Security situation: the level of indiscriminate violence in those cities does not reach such a high level that substantial grounds are shown for believing that a civilian would, solely on account of his or her presence, face a real risk of serious harm.

The selection of the three cities for this common analysis and guidance note does not prevent case officers from considering the application of IPA for other parts of Afghanistan, provided that all criteria described hereunder are met.

When choosing a particular place in Afghanistan, with regard to which to examine the applicability of IPA, where relevant, existing ties with the place, such as previous experience and/or existence of a support network could, for example, be taken into account.