UNDP aims to enhance government’s ability to deliver public services to the population in an efficient, effective, equitable and accountable manner, to consolidate a participative democracy with a responsible civil society and to create an enabling and secure environment for sustainable livelihoods.
UNDP has been present in Afghanistan for over 50 years and continued to operate from Islamabad during the Taliban régime. During that decade, UNDP delivered USD 200 million of assistance to communities throughout the country. UNDP re-established its offices in Kabul in early 2002. UNDP supports the people of Afghanistan as they face new challenges and move their country from recovery to development towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals by 2020.
Since the Bonn Agreement was signed in December 2001, UNDP has delivered USD 1.1 billion of assistance to Afghanistan. In 2005, UNDP delivered USD 349 million of development assistance, mainly for elections, disarmament, reconstruction and institution building. In 2006, UNDP delivered USD 202 million focusing mainly on state building, security sector reform (police) and rural development.
UNDP operates within the framework of the integrated United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA) and within the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF). UNDP operates in all 34 provinces of Afghanistan.
UNDP supports the Government in achieving a number of development benchmarks of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS) in the field of security and the rule of law, civil service reform, transparency and accountability, local governance, political processes (support to the Elections Commission and the newly elected parliament), civil society empowerment, youth, gender equality, human rights, environment and rural energy, the reintegration of former combatants into society, the implementation of the national counter-narcotics strategy, as well as rural development and private sector development.
A specificity of UNDP programme in Afghanistan is the strong focus on security (Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups, Mine Action and Ammunition, Police) which was identified as the ninth Millennium Development Goal by the Government of Afghanistan.
All UNDP activities are undertaken in close collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan, sister UN agencies and other development stakeholders. Partnerships with UNAMA, the US, the EC, Japan, CIDA, UK, Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and Norway have been critical to achieve results. Between 2002 and 2007, UNDP mobilized more than USD 1.4 billion for Afghanistan.
Highlights on UNDP assistance to Afghanistan since 2002
Support to the Afghan Interim Authority
After the signature of the Bonn agreement, UNDP established the Afghan Interim Authority Fund to pay for the most pressing needs of re-establishing the civil service, including salary payments, rehabilitation of government building and procurement of equipment. Salary payroll were re-established in all provinces of Afghanistan in six months. UNDP also supported the Constitutional Loya Jirga and the drafting of the constitution.
Support to Elections
UNDP supported the organization of the presidential elections in October 2004 with over 8 million voters (of whom 42% were women) casting their ballots, resulting in the election of President Hamid Karzai. UNDP supported the establishment of the Independent Election Commission who facilitated the 2005 Parliament and Provincial Council Elections in September 2005 with o ver 6.4 million voters, of which about 41% women.
Support to Parliament
The parliamentary and provincial council elections culminated in the inauguration of the first National Assembly for Afghanistan in three decades in December 2005. Since then UNDP worked to enhance the ability of the parliamentarians and other parliament staff to perform their duties. The newly elected provincial councils also benefited from exposure to new tools and skills.
Improved civil service
UNDP works with government partners to equip public servants with the tools and skills to enable them to implement change to increase effectiveness and efficiency in their work place. UNDP supported the preparation of the national budget and helped the government prioritize funding allocation and coordinate aid. The rationalization of office structures and processes, the upgrade of IT facilities also helped the government.
Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of 62,000 ex-combatants
UNDP assisted in the disarmament and demobilisation of more than 62,000 ex combatants and is now engaged in supporting their sustainable reintegration into society.
A well paid and trained national police force
UNDP established the Law and Order Trust Fund to ensure the regular payment of salaries of 63,000 police forces in all 34 provinces to strengthen security and the rule of law.
Justice, Human Rights and Gender
UNDP supported the foundation for justice sector reform and human rights protection that shall address the non-fulfilment of the rights of women. UNDP also supported Afghan with disabilities in exerting their rights for access to education, health and employment.
Livelihoods for the poor
Rural and urban infrastructure projects have benefited communities throughout Afghanistan, providing vocational training and short-term job opportunities to the local populations. UNDP supported the construction and rehabilitation of clinics, schools, government buildings, courts, shelters, access roads, the provision of irrigation water, and the construction and rehabilitation of wells, canals, dams and protection walls. Rural development projects were implemented in 26 provinces.
Sub-national governance
UNDP supports provincial, district and municipal administrations to improve service delivery through reforming organizational structures, streamlining management processes, and developing essential skills and knowledge of civil servants. UNDP District development plans were formulated in 138 districts in 14 provinces with the support of UNDP in 2006.
