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the use of budgets and special accounts, especially
with regard to financial management standards,
eligibility for participation in the program, and
prohibitions on the use of cash to resolve local
grievances.
Appraisal – The APRP integrates lessons and best
practices from past Disarmament, Demobilization,
and Reintegration and peacebuilding efforts in
Afghanistan and around the world. Information
management and confidence-building activities are
key to meeting the challenges associated with
reintegration.
APRP Action Plan – The action plan included in
Volume II of the ANDS Prioritization and
Implementation Plan outlines the Government’s
comprehensive approach to delivering peace and
reintegration based on the recommendations of the
Consultative Peace Jirga.
CURBING THE TRADE AND HARMFUL EFFECTS OF NARCOTICS
Counter-narcotics (CN) is among the most pivotal
issues in Afghanistan. Much has been written
about the direct impact narcotics cultivation and
trade has had on security, governance, corruption,
the economy, social issues, and, not least,
Afghanistan’s standing in the international
community and its relations with its neighbors. The
Ministry of Counter-Narcotics is as a member of
the Government’s Agriculture and Rural
Development Cluster. However, it is imperative
that CN, as a cross-cutting issue, is integrated into
the four other clusters – the Governance, Economic
and Infrastructure Development, Human Resource
Development, and Security Clusters. CN’s
integration into these clusters carries three main
action points based on an Afghan perspective:
First, the Government, with support from its
international and national partners, needs to
review, integrate, and implement a more effective,
coherent, and pragmatic National Drug Control
Strategy (NDCS) to address narcotics issues
comprehensively and in a sustainable manner.
Second, the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics is
mandated to coordinate NDCS implementation
efforts through clearly-defined partnership roles
and responsibilities, along with line ministries,
sub-national administration, and the international
community, through a series of consultations
during and following the Kabul Conference.
Third, while counter-narcotics efforts have, in the
past, been hindered by various external and
internal factors (many of which have not been
collectively addressed by CN implementers), the
Kabul Conference provides an opportunity to
introduce an Afghan CN perspective viewed as a
“new beginning” in Afghanistan’s transition away
from narcotics production and trade towards
alternative and sustainable livelihoods.
How does the CN new beginning initiative reflect
the Afghan perspective? There are five points that
deserve serious consideration and understanding
by both the Government and international
community.
1. The CN new beginning initiative is an Afghanled,
nationwide effort that is Afghan-owned and
Afghan implemented. With full respect for
Afghanistan’s integrity as a sovereign country, the
new beginning perspective recognizes that
Afghanistan is willing and capable of dismantling
the illegal economy that has spread its tentacles
into almost every sector of Afghan society, and
which has profound negative effects on
neighboring countries and beyond.
2. CN, as a cross-cutting issue, is a development
agenda priority in Afghanistan. Without serious
integration and concerted actions – implemented
within the national priority program formulation,
implementation, monitoring and evaluation
modalities for all Government clusters – overall
Afghanistan development efforts will remain
locked in limbo. While the National Drug Control
Strategy and CN law prioritize CN in the
development agenda, CN can no longer remain
simply a policy on paper. CN policy must translate
into positive actions, implemented by line
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