Community Leaders Convey their Vision for Economic Recovery

July 27, 2022

 

Kabul 25 July 2022 – United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) held a stakeholder forum “Community Voices: Vision for Regional Economic Recovery in Afghanistan”. The forum brought together over 200 community leaders representing the main regions of Afghanistan to formulate and share their vision for the country’s economic recovery.

 “This forum is a public square for the representatives of the communities from across Afghanistan,” said UNDP Resident Representative Abdallah Al Dardari. “There was one main objective of today’s discussion: What is the people’s vision for the future of their region, and how can we make that vision true.”

 The representatives of the communities called for the following policy interventions:

  • Support to small and medium enterprises, with emphasis on aiding women-owned businesses
  • Creating sustainable jobs, and capacity-building
  • Improving connectivity (roads, trains, etc.) that will allow increased trade between regions and with neighboring countries
  • Investment into tourism, including eco-tourism
  • Participation in political, social and economic decision making
  • Ensuring women’s right to education and work
  • Access to reliable energy sources and expansion of renewable energy infrastructure
  • Installing early warning systems and giving communities means to deal with disruptive climate events
  • Sustainable mgt of natural resources, including water mgt, land mgt, prevention of deforestation
  • Increasing efficiency and productivity in agricultural sector

“We thank the community leaders for openly expressing their vision and ideas how it can be achieved. We heard their voices and we will make sure they are reflected in our work in all regions of Afghanistan,” added Abdallah Al Dardari.

 UNDP will publish a summary of the vision statements from all regions. Consultations are expected to continue in the regions and will shape UNDP’s plans, particularly under the ABADEI initiative which is implemented in all regions.

 Links:

Transcript of the UN noon briefing in New York: https://press.un.org/en/2022/db220725.doc.htm

Link to the video of the UN noon briefing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJI2oP8b__E&list=PL5EC6CB7DF66E002A

UNDP Afghanistan Tweets from the forum:

https://twitter.com/UNDPaf/status/1551450001993244672?s=20&t=NSBkkYrwWpKVu2rCUdYTCw

https://twitter.com/UNDPaf/status/1551454252601643008?s=20&t=NSBkkYrwWpKVu2rCUdYTCw

https://twitter.com/UNDPaf/status/1551456354312790016?s=20&t=NSBkkYrwWpKVu2rCUdYTCw

https://twitter.com/UNDPaf/status/1551459414481272834?s=20&t=NSBkkYrwWpKVu2rCUdYTCw

https://twitter.com/UNDPaf/status/1551469476624883712?s=20&t=NSBkkYrwWpKVu2rCUdYTCw