Coordination Meeting Between IEA Ministires and UN Convened

A coordination meeting at the leadership level took place between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and the offices of the United Nations. The meeting was attended by high-ranking officials and representatives from various ministries of the Islamic Emirate, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of Immigrants and Returnees, Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation, and Livestock, Ministry of Water and Electricity, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Ministry of Information and Culture, Ministry of Natural Disasters Management, Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled, Department of Coordination of Municipal Affairs, Kabul Municipality, and Environmental Protection Authority.

 

Representatives from the United Nations, including officials from humanitarian and development aid agencies, were also present. These agencies included OCHA, WFP, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Habitat, FAO, UNHCR, UNESCO, ILO, UNFPA, WHO, UNODC IRC, INTERSOS, NRC, ACBAR, DACAAR, ACF, and representatives from the private sector.

 

The meeting focused on discussing the needs of the Afghan people in different sectors, the priorities of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the aid provided by the United Nations in the past year, the future plans of the organization, and the development of understanding and harmony between the two sides.

 

During the meeting, the Minister of Foreign Affairs emphasized the importance of shifting the focus to the reconstruction and development of the country following the end of the war. While the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is striving for self-sufficiency in the humanitarian and development sectors, the minister highlighted the challenges faced by the government, including the devastated economy due to decades of war, a large population of widows, orphans, and disabled individuals, millions of refugees in neighboring countries, reliance on foreign aid for the healthcare system, a significant number of drug addicts, landmines and unexploded materials, and the impact of droughts, earthquakes, floods, climate change, and other natural disasters. The minister emphasized the need for continued international aid in the short term.

 

Mr. Motaghi, during his speech, emphasized the importance of aligning the nature and form of international aid with the specific needs and priorities of the Afghan people to maximize its effectiveness.

 

Andrika Retavati, the head of the United Nations Humanitarian and Development Department and Deputy Director of UNAMA, discussed the United Nations’ efforts to shift the nature of aid from humanitarian to development and identified the areas where United Nations aid should be focused.

 

Throughout the meeting, representatives from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and United Nations offices discussed shared priorities and the strengthening of coordination.

 

As the meeting concluded, there was an agreement on the urgent response to natural disasters, particularly the recent floods, as well as a commitment to maintain and enhance the existing spirit of cooperation and coordination. The transition from humanitarian aid to development aid was emphasized, and technical mechanisms were proposed to facilitate detailed discussions on agreed-upon issues.