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Contributions from
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Development prospects for the north-east
To Europe with Germany’s support
Reporting on developing
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02/2005 |
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[ Afghanistan ]
Development prospects for the north-east
Since November 2003, German development cooperation (DC) in Afghanistan has particularly had the north-eastern provinces of Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar in its sights. The region needs concrete prospects, not least in view of the anti-drug policy of the central government in Kabul. In close cooperation with the German government, InWEnt Capacity Building International organised a conference on development opportunities and challenges in the four provinces.
[ By Sonja Nelles and Reimut Düring ]
One of the most significant outcomes of the conference is the requirement by the central government and representatives of the four provinces to run subsequent workshops on a smaller scale in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar in 2005. They should offer methodical support to decision makers at the provincial and district level.
In the province of Kunduz, the Afghan representatives and the representatives from the international institutions proposed setting up “provincial development steering committees”, headed by the governor, in order to improve the coordination of the individual programmes and to ensure more transparency between the players involved. This would be a model for the other provinces too.
Exchange of experiences
“Development opportunities and challenges for the provinces Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar – players, programmes and prospects” was the theme of the conference. InWEnt ran the conference in Kunduz in close cooperation with the German Development Ministry (BMZ) from 29 November to 2 December 2004. The aim was to raise awareness of the national development plans and their significance for the four provinces. Furthermore, the meeting was intended to facilitate an exchange of experience between the provinces.
The conference was held under the auspices of the central Afghan government, represented by the reform commission chaired by vice president Hidayat Amin Arsala, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the German Development Ministry. The conference was financed by the German Development Ministry.
The north-eastern provinces are approximately of the same size as Austria. Around three million people live here, including more than 300,000 refugees. The region lacks any development prospects in the short, medium and long term. The same is true for the individual provinces. One of the weak points is that there is currently no competent administration at the provincial and district levels. A totally inadequate infrastructure makes inter-, intra-provincial and international trade almost impossible. In Badakhshan, in particular, there are few economic alternatives to the cultivation of opium poppies. In order to exhaust the possibilities, which are offered within the framework of the national development programmes (ADF, NSP and ASP), a comprehensive development and regional plan is required for the entire region.
No communications structure
Despite the organisational difficulties due to the poor communications infrastructure in north-east Afghanistan, the conference still managed to achieve a very high degree of participation. More than 130 participants from Kabul and the four provinces of Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kunduz and Takhar took part in the three-day event.
The great significance of the conference was evident, not least due to the collaboration of vice president Arsala, three provincial governors, representatives of the provincial and district administrations of Afghanistan and international non-governmental organisations (NGOs). Among the international organisations, the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the German Development Service (DED), German Agro Action (DWHH), the British Department for International Development (DFID), the Irish aid organisation Concern and the Agha Khan Foundation all cooperated. Representatives of the regional security forces and the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) also actively took part in the conference.
Development cooperation is the third pillar of the German commitment in the region. It accompanies the military support within the framework of the ISAF mandate, the commitment to building up the police force and the support of the political dialogue (supported by the German Foreign Office and the German Ministry of the Interior).
According to the anti-drug policy announced by recently elected president, Hamid Karzai, the region with its four provinces needs tangible prospects as part of the country’s reconstruction efforts. All the current measures and those planned for the future in the four provinces are integrated into the “National Development Framework”, agreed upon by the Afghan government and the international donors. In the “national programmes”, which are applied throughout the country, the “National Solidarity Programme” (NSP) and the “Afghan Stabilisation Programme” (ASP) are of particular importance.
The programmes and their objectives were presented by the central government in Kabul in April 2004, following the latest Berlin conference and the announcement of the concrete figures of the donor contributions. An important matter of these programmes – aside from the core content (fighting poverty, supporting the private sector, increasing the state revenue, et cetera) – is improving security in the provinces and strengthening the central government’s position locally. The NSP in particular is considered the flagship of the central government, designed to boost the provinces and districts.
The content and possibilities of the NSP and the ASP were presented by representatives of the central government at the conference and were discussed by the participants. Working in study groups, they collated the successes and difficulties of the development measures in the four provinces since 2002 and identified the encouraging and hindering factors of current or planned projects. On the last day, explicit approaches for further activities in the four provinces were discussed.
A success in itself: debate without anxiety
The conference was the first of its kind in north-east Afghanistan. For some participants, the fact that after years of war, so many people could discuss safely, without feeling anxious, in an engaged manner in a public arena was a novelty and “the real success of this conference.” The local police ensured the security of the event and were supported in their efforts by ISAF.
Representatives from women's and youth groups actively took part in the discussions. At times they criticised the existing power structures and the lack of integration within their groups.
In October 2004, for the first time after more than 20 years of war, the Afghan population was able to vote freely. More than ten million citizens took part in the democratically run polls. Interim president Karzai emerged as the winner of the election. The election is considered a milestone for the democratic reconstruction of the country. InWEnt will continue to support the democratic process – as it has done for the past two years – through measures in the field of training and capacity building.
Sonja Nelles
has been project leader for training programmes in Afghanistan
and is now moving to another division.
sonja.nelles@inwent.org
Reimut Düring
heads the Eastern Europe, Near and Middle East
division at InWEnt.
reimut.duering@inwent.org
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