Afghanistan: Not Lost, But Needs More Attention

By Mohammad M. Stanekzai
Synopsis
This USIPeace Briefing discusses Afghanistan's challenges and proposes solutions in economic development, project implementation, coordination and security. The briefing was prepared in anticipation of the June 2008 Paris donors conference to renew commitments to the country and discuss the Afghan National Development Strategy.

Key Challenges

There is growing concern among Afghans and international actors over the deteriorating security situation, in particular:

The increase in cross-border terrorist activities
The regrouping and strengthening of the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan
Weak Afghan government performance and corruption
A growing drug trade
Poor international aid coordination
The situation is not hopeless, but Afghanistan needs more attention from national and international actors to reverse current trends.

There is broad agreement regarding challenges the country faces, but national and international partners remain divided on addressing them. International donors focus on explaining policies and strategies, while too little attention is devoted to implementing such polices and delivering services on the ground. The result is a widening expectations gap.

Overall, Afghanistan faces challenges in development, implementation, coordination, governance and security. To overcome them, the country needs a strong and empowered government at the national and local levels. In addition, the government and international donors must strengthen public administration, prioritizing security and rule of law. Finally, the country needs enhanced regional consensus and cooperation.

There is no need to create new national or international mechanisms. Instead, Afghanistan and the international donor community must build on the experience acquired over the past six years and combine it with the principles agreed to in the Rome High Level Forum (2003), the Paris High Level Forum (2005) and the Afghanistan Compact on aid harmonization and aid effectiveness (2006). Without Afghan ownership over reconstruction, stabilization will fail.

International assistance is most effective when it bolsters the national budget process and enhances delivery and mutual accountability and strengthens local institutions. This ensures sustainability and broad participation in the five-year Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS) and Afghan National Priority Programs (NPPs).

This briefing:

Offers proposals to improve local ownership at the national and sector-specific levels
Discusses international coordination challenges.
Suggests a mechanism to improve synergy among key international players, with particular attention to the role of the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs).
Discusses Afghanistan's transitional security challenges. Without a regional approach, lasting security and peace are unattainable.
The full text of Afghanistan: Not Lost, But Needs More Attention is available online.
http://www.usip.org/pubs/usipeace_briefings/2008/0611_afghanistan.html?utm_source=bronto&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Afghanistan%3A+Not+Lost%2C+But+Needs+More+Attention&utm_content=bea%40bcpictures.com&utm_campaign=United+States+Institute+of+Peace

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About the Author:
This USIPeace Briefing was written Mohammad M. Stanekzai, Jennings Randolph Senior Afghanistan Fellow at the United States Institute of Peace. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of USIP, which does not advocate specific policies.

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June 16, 2008   Posted in: Afghanistan