Issue Brief
Perspectives and Hopes
For more information,
please contact:
Linda Poteat
Director of Disaster Response
InterAction
lpoteat@interaction.org
Natalie Eisenbarth
Senior Legislative Associate for
Humanitarian Affairs
InterAction
neisenbarth@interaction.org
www.InterAction.org
1400 16th Street, NW
Suite 210
Washington, DC 20036
202.667.8227
July 2010
for the International
Conference on
Afghanistan in Kabul
The route to long-term success in Afghanistan will be found by placing Afghan needs and
priorities first. InterAction and its members are therefore especially pleased that the
th
expected focus of the July 20 Kabul Conference is “Afghan priorities for the Afghan
people.” A number of InterAction’s member organizations have had humanitarian and
development operations in Afghanistan for decades and remain committed to working with
the Afghan people for years to come.
While there have been some improvements on the ground, after three decades of conflict,
much is still left to be done. Security is currently the main concern for the Afghan people;
an estimated nine million Afghans now live in conflict-affected areas, often in desperate
conditions with little outside support. Insurgency, criminality, factional conflicts, corruption
and the drug trade seriously hamper access to basic services and the delivery of aid.
Human development indicators remain low: nearly half of the country’s population lives in
poverty and one in five children will not live to see their fifth birthday. High unemployment
continues to undermine stability and state institutions remain weak and have limited
capacity to provide basic services.
The Kabul Conference offers an opportunity for the Afghan government, the United
Nations, international delegations, the international aid community and civil society to
demonstrate a genuine commitment to the Afghan people by addressing their
humanitarian and development priorities. A key outcome of the conference should
therefore be to reinvigorate and support the Afghanistan National Development Strategy
(ANDS). The fact that the Afghan government has now laid out 23 priority programs in
such areas as governance, development, peace and security ahead of the Kabul
Conference is a positive step forward. However, these plans and programs will only bear
fruit if they are followed by a realistic plan of action, committed implementation, and a
process that is broadly inclusive of and monitored by all parties, including civil society
actors.
Therefore, we urge close attention to the following recommendations:
Increase funding for humanitarian activities and prioritize improved access to
vulnerable populations. Approximately 320,000 Afghans are currently displaced within
the country and many lack access to the most basic services. Earthquakes, floods,
droughts and harsh winter conditions have all severely
affected the country in past years. 2010 has been no
different. These conditions, coupled with the upsurge in
violence and spotty access to needy populations, have
exacerbated long-standing, unmet humanitarian needs. All
parties should maintain a focus on addressing urgent
humanitarian issues.
Ensure international assistance is driven by Afghan
and long-term development needs, not short-term
political objectives. Quick impact projects intended to
achieve short-term results are not sufficiently promoting
local ownership, capacity-building and sustainability.
Instead, longer-term programs based on needs outlined in
the ANDS should be prioritized. For example, national
programs such as the National Solidarity Program (NSP)
and the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) have
been responsive to and successful in meeting community-
identified needs in thousands of villages. It is critical that
such programs be comprehensively resourced under
ANDS and implemented across Afghanistan, keeping
development outcomes, rather than political concerns, at
the forefront.
Give particular attention to vulnerable groups. A
centerpiece of the Kabul Conference will be discussing
plans for advancing a peace process and reconciliation
with ex-combatants. In such negotiations, the U.S. and
other international actors should stand squarely in favor of
establishing a firm policy against human rights abuses and
guaranteeing women’s participation in the public sphere.
All parties should prioritize the protection of vulnerable
groups including women, children and the disabled.
Deliver assistance equitably throughout the country.
Currently a disproportionate share of resources is focused
on areas that are insecure and where foreign forces are
present. This approach neglects provinces where the
security and development environments are more
permissive (in the North and West, for example), social
and government capacity are greater, and where
humanitarian needs also remain urgent due to food
insecurity, drought and floods and lack of basic services
and infrastructure. With security conditions and popular
support for the government declining across the country, it
makes sense to address humanitarian and development
needs wherever possible and most effective.
Improve the delivery of services throughout the
country at the local level. More financial and technical
resources must be devoted to strengthening the ability of
line ministries and local government institutions to promote
social and economic development, particularly in
agriculture, rural and urban development, health,
education and rule of law. At the same time, a sound,
transparent and accountable decentralization process
must be supported in order to build the capacities of
provinces, districts and local, community-based
institutions. Such a process should also promote broader
public participation that is inclusive of minorities, women
and vulnerable community members. This cannot be done
in a short timeframe since capacity at the sub-national
level is extremely limited and gaining the trust of
communities for participation in the development process
will take time. Both international and national NGOs have
developed critical expertise and experience in recovery
and development work at the local level and can play an
important role in building the necessary capacity of
indigenous institutions while also rebuilding the critical link
between local communities and national institutions.
Strengthen the existing coordination mechanism for
the delivery of humanitarian and development aid. In
order to make assistance more proactive, inclusive,
transparent and efficient, it is the responsibility of all parties
– international and national NGOs, Afghan authorities, UN
and donors – to be mutually accountable in their actions
and to act in the interest of the Afghan people.