1 2 Executive Summary The Common Country Assessment (CCA) reviews and analyses <strong>Afghanistan</strong>’s development situation to begin to answer the question: Where can the United Nations System have the greatest impact between 2006 and 2009 toward the overall goal of poverty reduction? In identifying development challenges requiring priority attention during its harmonised programme cycles, the United Nations System and its partners clustered themes for analysis into four closely interrelated groups: l l l l Governance and Institutional Development Peace, Security and Justice Economic Development and Growth Social Well-Being All themes are key to helping <strong>Afghanistan</strong> achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) for 2015, which <strong>Afghanistan</strong> has endorsed. For each thematic area, this document presents a strategic analysis, identifies root and underlying causes of key issues, and assesses the factors for success, providing recommendations for future areas of cooperation and underscoring the urgency of acting now. A crosscutting issue of note lies in conflict prevention, post-conflict reconciliation and peace building, which underpins all four thematic areas and must be mainstreamed in each. In the area of Governance and Institutional Development, key issues included: l l l l l l Democratic Accountability and the Rights of the Citizen Participation in Political Processes and Social Inclusion Corruption Public Administration Reform Decentralisation and Devolution Ensuring a Positive Role for the Media Under Peace, Security and Justice, issues that were assessed included: l l l l l l Explosive Remnants of War Continued Power and Influence of Non-Statutory Armed Forces, Along With the Persistence of Incidents of Armed Violence Contested Allocation of Resources Cultivation of Poppy Dysfunctional Formal Justice System and Preference for Traditional Justice Mechanisms Social Violence and Lack of Social Protection l l l l l l l Young governance structures still in the process of establishment and/or early stages of development, and unable to curb political insecurity Shortage of human resources that can propel democratic, economic and social reforms Wide variations in socio-economic indicators, by gender, region and rural-urban divide Weakened social infrastructure Socio-cultural traditions that result in widespread marginalisation based on gender, social status or ethnicity Culture of unsustainable resource use that must be reversed Obsolete industrial and agricultural techniques and practices that harm the environment A complete summary of the findings of the CCA is available in Annex A. Based on the analysis, three broad areas have emerged in which support for the transition of <strong>Afghanistan</strong> can be concentrated. These are: l l l Human Rights and Peace Building Good Governance and Participatory Development Basic Social Services and Environmental Sustainability The main criteria for proposing these areas of cooperation are: priority needs; potential for long-term impact on national goals and priorities; lessons learnt and good practices; and opportunities to strengthen both national capacities and international cooperation. The three areas will be coherently reflected by individual Agencies in their mandated activities within the UNDAF. The focus of Human Rights and Peace Building will not be on emergencies as such, but rather, on longer-term peace-building. 1 This can include support to creating the knowledge, skills and values for a human rights culture; significantly improving gender equality; expanding counter-narcotics measures; enhancing the rule of law; and ensuring a more equitable allocation of resources, particularly through enhancing conflict resolution mechanisms and access for the poor and vulnerable. Building national ownership and national capacities, both within Government and civil society, will be emphasised. Meanwhile, different concepts of good governance can be accommodated within a durable structure of pluralist democracy grounded in civic rights. The latter also constitute a vehicle for ensuring minority rights. Through Good Governance and Participatory Development, the United Nations System can assist in this process both by helping to solidify the governance agenda as well as by supporting a number of initiatives to consolidate democracy in the course of the Afghan transition. This can include support for the fight against corruption; strengthening of civil society; institution building and civil service reform; enhanced propoor policy frameworks; and accountability and monitoring of the public sector. Economic Development and Growth analysed issues of: l l l Employment: The Right to Decent Work Distributive Justice: The Right to Human Dignity and Gender Equality Using Natural Resources Sustainably, Managing Disaster Risks Effectively Lastly, Social Well-Being looked at availability of, and access to: l l l The Right to Education The Right to Health The Right to Food Overall, root causes of these key issues were traced to the following: l Underdeveloped human rights culture, along with lack of traditions of democracy, state-building and civil society participation 1 Peace-building is used in this context as “aimed at preventing the outbreak, the recurrence or continuation of armed conflict and therefore encompass[ing] a wide range of political, developmental, humanitarian and human rights programmes and mechanisms.” (United Nations Security Council, Presidential Statement, 20 February 2001, para. 5) Finally, under Basic Social Services and Environmental Sustainability, the United Nations System will support measures essential to allow people to lead long, healthy and creative lives, to enjoy decent living standards and freedoms, and to possess dignity, self-respect and respect for others. These can include education; health, family planning and nutrition; the environment; mitigation of natural disasters; and social protection. Consequently, as the United Nations System moves forward with development of the UNDAF, the focus on the poor and vulnerable – as well as on duty bearers, including the State – will be more deliberate. This approach also will be highlighted in United Nations involvement in the World Bank-led Poverty Reduction Strategy (PRSP) process. What this implies is a more concerted, explicit engagement of domestic and international partners – non-Government organisations (NGOs) and civil society, families, local Governments and communities, the business community, the media and academia. In so doing, the United Nations System can help <strong>Afghanistan</strong> stand firmly among democracies of the 21st Century.