prioritization and implementation plan - Cooperazione Italiana allo ...

AFGHANISTAN NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
PRIORITIZATION AND IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
MID 2010 – MID 2013
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On July 20, 2010, the Government of the Islamic
Republic of Afghanistan and the international
community met in Kabul to deliberate on and
endorse an Afghan-led action plan to improve
governance, social and economic development,
and security. Demonstrating a renewed
commitment to the People of Afghanistan within
the framework of the Afghanistan National
Development Strategy, the new generation of
National Priority Programs presented at the Kabul
International Conference on Afghanistan aim to
empower all Afghan citizens and government and
non-governmental institutions to contribute to
improved service delivery, job creation, equitable
economic growth, the protection of all Afghan
citizens’ rights, and a durable and inclusive peace.
In essence, these programs define the Kabul
Process.
The start of the Kabul Process represents a turning
point for the People of Afghanistan and their
international partners. Unlike the past, when
programs were largely prepared and implemented
by international cooperation partners, now the
Afghan Government and its many development
partners across civil society and the private sector
have the leadership and institutional capabilities to
realize the full benefits of a National Priority
Program approach. With the prevalence of violent
extremism, pervasive poverty, and perceived highlevels
of corruption across many State institutions,
adopting a prioritized programmatic approach is a
practical and moral imperative for three main
reasons:
i. First, the Afghan Government must improve
the lives of all Afghan citizens. Only through
providing poverty reducing social services,
establishing law and order, and fostering
economic activity nationwide can the Afghan
Government garner confidence and legitimacy
4
in the eyes of its constituents. Further, Afghanled
programs with a national reach, that
provide for the unique circumstances of
different provinces and districts, can build
loyalty for the central government, unifying the
country and ensuring greater national, as well
as provincial, stability. Ongoing peace and
reconciliation efforts are based on this
commitment to inclusivity and equity for all
Afghan citizens.
ii. Second, the Afghan Government recognizes its
current limited capacity to design and
undertake overly-ambitious programs, and the
often-unrelated proliferation of poorly
integrated projects. By concentrating on the
delivery of a smaller number of large-scale
National Priority Programs focused on delivery
over the course of the next three years, returns
to growth, revenues, and employment will be
increased, as will national capacities in selfgovernance
and service delivery.
iii. Third, it is only through the provision of a
clear, prioritized agenda that international
partners can align behind Afghan leadership.
This transfer of responsibility is critical to
increase aid effectiveness. And it enables
international partners to fulfill their pledge to
increase the percentage of their aid aligned
behind Afghan priorities through Afghan
systems.
The main storyline of the Kabul International
Conference on Afghanistan is a story of hope,
determination, pragmatism, and peace. 1 Since late
1 The “Faces of Hope” Photographic Essay in support of
the Kabul Conference, financed by the Government of
Afghanistan, can be viewed at
http://www.afghanistanfacesofhope.com.