UN conference on Afghanistan rehabilitation opens

A UN Development Programme (UNDP) sponsored conference bringing together Afghan professionals, entrepreneurs, businessmen and academics opened in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Monday, for discussion on the requirements for recovery in Afghanistan. Following a major international conference on Afghan reconstruction last November in Pakistan, this week's two-day meeting will focus on first-year rehabilitation efforts and the need to show an early "peace dividend". "We want to build on what we achieved at the Islamabad conference and what is happening in the country now," the UNDP resident representative for Iran, Francesco Bastagli, told IRIN from Tehran. "The conference aims to facilitate a greater voice to the active members of Afghan society, many of whom will be returning to assist in the rebuilding of their country," he said. The UN estimates there are some 2.3 million Afghans living in Iran. "Like all members of the Afghan diaspora, many of these people will play a significant role in the reconstruction of the country," Bastagli noted. The 60 to 70 participants of the conference will divide into three working groups, which will arrive at recommendations to be forwarded to the Afghan reconstruction conference to be held in Tokyo from 21 to 22 January. The groups will concentrate on lessons learned from ongoing programmes in Afghanistan and post-crisis experiences elsewhere. Also in attendance in Iran is the Afghan interim administration's trade minister, Mostafa Kazemi, who, according to the official Iranian news agency, IRNA, said on Friday: "This seminar will be the first regionally initiated, international-level move aimed at systematic and serious studies over the sensitive issue of reconstructing Afghanistan." The Afghan economic delegation's is the first official visit made by representatives of the interim government following recent political developments in Afghanistan, the report noted. According to UNDP, subjects to be discussed at the conference will comprise the rehabilitation of main facilities vital to further reconstruction, such as roads and bridges, water, energy, and housing, as well early initiatives to improve basic health and sanitation services, and to rehabilitate the education system. Particular attention will be given to the access to education by girls. Also to be discussed will be community development activities aimed at subsistence and income generation, including agriculture and food security, short-term employment creation, small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as basic skills training, particularly for returning refugees and displaced people. Commenting on the more practical aspect of the conference, Bastagli explained that the talks would not be confined to what was needed, but would also dwell on how these needs could be met, as well as on where the relevant infrastructure was needed and who would be the key players in the process of implementation. Discussions will begin with an assessment of available information on each theme, outlining needs, priorities and actions required. The groups will indicate general financing needs for their recommendations, while at the same time identify constraints and risks involved in implementation. They will also discuss the main principles and policies that should guide rehabilitation efforts, bearing in mind that the first-year recovery was a prelude to the longer-term reconstruction of the country. Asked why they needed to focus on short-term rehabilitation needs now, Bastagli explained that this would address the much-needed relief effort, give people a psychological boost and sense of empowerment, as well as strengthen the new state. "People need to see that peace dividend. If people see things happening in [the] short-term, it will give the new leadership credibility." He added that the conference would provide much-needed analysis of ways to meet the country's most urgent rehabilitation needs.