United Nations Strategic Framework for Afghanistan
UNITED NATIONS STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK FOR AFGHANISTAN
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ANNEX III: Summary of Consultations
Between 11 October and 8 November, the UN in Afghanistan carried out stakeholder consultations
for its new strategic framework in 11 provinces which were selected to ensure a representation of all
Afghan communities and sectors. These engaged with 519 participants, including 189 women and 83
representatives of the de facto authorities. The consultations validated the outcomes of the UN CCA
by asking for problems and underlying causes and identified key solutions for UN interventions.
The main concerns of stakeholders were the ban on girls' education, lack of health facilities, mental
health problems, poverty and economic insecurity, and discrimination of ethnic minorities. The key
ask from women was to provide skills training and job opportunities to give them agency and a voice
in their communities. General feedback was the request for long-term UN programming and cash-for-
work (rather than short-term, unconditional handouts), completion of UN/World Bank infrastructure
projects, concern about climate change impacts, lack of protection of cultural assets, participatory aid
approach, and concerns on selection criteria for individual/household level assistance. Participants
had diverging opinions about whether the UN should increase focus on a collaborative approach
favouring long-term development needs or advocate stronger for human rights. Other issues of
concern frequently mentioned were increasing youth drug addiction and substance abuse, women's
rights, increased human trafficking, child marriage or sale, child labour, household debts, isolation of
rural communities during winter, poor development, infrastructure, and aid dependency.
Recommendations for the UN related to consistency and coherence in de facto authority engagement
at sub-national level: revival of UN Regional Teams to coordinate a coherent basic human needs
response; joint approach to move away from basic cash-for-work towards more lasting critical assets
to create opportunities; basic human needs programming to increase local employment and business
opportunities; feedback mechanisms for beneficiaries; strengthen Community Development Councils
and other inclusive community mechanisms for inclusive decision-making processes; responding to
climate change through targeted environmental and climate action and mainstreaming of
environmental impact considerations across all UN programmes and activities; support urbanization
and development of rural areas. Potential joint UN interventions to be considered based on the
consultations would be a special focus on women and marginalized groups (especially IDPs and people
with disability); provision of relevant assets, education, and capacity building for income-generating
activities for women at home and where feasible outside; environmental protection activities
including resource management; construction/resumption of small infrastructure projects; economic
opportunities and livelihoods; innovative education and skills training in health; agricultural
opportunities through livestock and seeds; policy planning for the economy and key sectors and
capacity building for delivery of basic essential services; strengthen anti-corruption systems,
community dialogues, access to justice, and accountability mechanisms.
Suggested solutions for UN Priority 1 included support to education, mental and physical health care,
WASH, and infrastructure sector; for Priority 2 solutions were private sector support, strengthening
of agriculture and livestock sector; and for Priority 3 support to marginalized groups including people
with disabilities, IDPs, returnees, street children, women, elderly, civil society actors, media and
journalists; advocacy for strengthening of the justice system and the Community DevelopmentView entire presentation