''Afghanistan Support Week'' at NATO HQ
Afghan government representatives in fields as diverse as defence, finance and rural rehabilitation are attending “Afghanistan Support Week” at NATO Headquarters from 29 June to 2 July.
Participants will address ways in which ISAF nations can best support Afghan economic development and meet the country’s civilian needs, stressing the importance of pursuing a comprehensive approach combining military and civilian resources and of ensuring Afghan ownership of the process to ensure sustained progress.
Economic footprint
The week will start off with a meeting on 29 and 30 June of the NATO Economic Committee, reinforced with representatives from Afghanistan and all non-NATO nations contributing to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Discussions will focus on a draft status report on ISAF’s economic footprint in Afghanistan. Included in this report is an assessment of the impact on Afghanistan’s economic development.
This work is being developed in close cooperation with Afghanistan, ISAF contributors and Japan, as well as other international organisations including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the World Bank and the European Union.
Civilian support
The Senior Civil Emergency Planning (CEP) Committee is also organizing a workshop on 1 and 2 July to address civilian support to Afghanistan. The overall aim is to identify, on a demand-driven basis, how NATO CEP actors working in synergy with national and international civilian actors can help meet Afghanistan’s needs for civilian support.
Afghan representatives from the ministries of defence, disaster management, transport, rural rehabilitation and local governance will attend the workshop. Representatives from UNAMA, the United Nations Development Programme and the European Commission will also participate.
No media opportunities are foreseen. For more information please contact:
Susan Pond, Economic Committee: +32 (0)2 707 3560
Clare Roberts, CEP: +32 (0)2 707 3983