16 April 2010

U.S., Afghanistan Partner to Improve Local Governance, Services

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah speaks with reporters in Islamabad on April 14.

Washington — U.S. and Afghan leaders have signed an agreement that establishes a district delivery program to improve local governance and to improve targeting of assistance efforts, says Rajiv Shah, administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

“In accomplishing both of those objectives, it tries to take forward a real sense of [a] shared program,” Shah said.

Shah and Deputy Secretary of State Jacob Lew had just returned from extended consultations in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They briefed journalists April 16 at the State Department.

Shah said a policy of encouraging Afghan-led initiatives, known as the Afghan First Policy, is becoming increasingly effective in aid program assistance. That policy is a significant priority of President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

“It’s an effort to really try to procure services locally and to build local Afghan institutions, as we implement the assistance package,” he said.

The new district delivery program agreement, which will help the Afghan government deliver basic services in targeted districts throughout the country, was signed April 10 in Kabul by Afghan Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal; Jalani Popal, Afghan director-general of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG); U.S. Ambassador Karl Eikenberry; and Shah.

The Afghan-led district delivery program is designed to establish or improve the presence of the Afghan government in recently secured districts. It supports district government efforts to respond to the needs of citizens by building the government’s capacity to deliver basic health, education, agricultural and judicial services.

“This event is a clear indicator of the importance of making Afghan governance visible and effective at the district level,” Eikenberry said. “This is a process that will no doubt take time, but one that is necessary for the government of Afghanistan to ensure the country’s long-term security and development.”

“Through this agreement, the government of Afghanistan and the United States are increasing their partnership in strengthening local and national governance, and building the capacity of Afghan leaders who maintain a strong commitment to improve the lives of Afghan citizens,” Director-General Popal said after the signing.

Finance Minister Zakhilwal said, “This new initiative is important for strengthening needed capacity in local governments. By improving this capacity, local government will be enabled to deliver crucial services to the Afghan people.”

(This is a product of the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://www.america.gov)