Afghanistan watching brief completed

Islamabad (Office of the United Nations Co-ordinator for Afghanistan), 7 April 2001-- A two-day joint United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and World Bank conference was organised in Islamabad to explore ways of bringing analytical work more into the mainstream of assistance programmes for Afghanistan. To mark the completion of the joint UNDP/World Bank project, the 'Afghanistan Watching Brief,' the conference brought together a wide range of knowledgeable people from across the assistance community as well as those who maintain interest in Afghanistan from a broader perspective, including Professor Barnett Rubin and Ahmed Rashid. Donor representatives included the ambassadors of Japan, Italy, Sweden, and Norway. Mr. Francesc Vendrell, the Secretary General's Special Representative in Afghanistan, and most UN heads of agencies also participated in the conference.
Studies on Afghanistan's international trade relations and on the socio-economic impact of mine action, along with findings of earlier workshops and conferences on basic education, health service delivery and food security strategy in Afghanistan, were discussed at the conference. Other studies include those on the socio-economic impact of remittances on the Afghan family and household (in progress) and an overview of agricultural production in the country. The project also supported a capacity building programme in Peshawar for about 600 Afghan women working with NGOs.

The conference also considered papers on the 'Analysis of Afghanistan's Economy and Society and its Implications for Assistance Strategies' and 'Transforming the War Economy - Reconstruction and Peacemaking.'

The conference was held just before the Afghanistan Support Group meeting to send messages that are grounded in reality and informed by analytical work to the donors and wider assistance community.

At the conclusion, donor, NGO, and UN representatives urged the World Bank to expand the range of its analytical works in partnership with UNDP and embark on a second phase of the Watching Brief strategy.

For further information about the conference/project please contact Humayun Hamidzada at Humayun.Hamidzada@undp.org, tel. 92 51 2211451 ext. 455, UNDP-Afghanistan.