The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance 3rd Edition, August 2004 Writer: Lucy Jones Editor: Brandy Bauer, with assistance from Thomas Muller With special thanks to: Lua Anderson, Mir Ahmad Joyenda, and Jawed Faraidoon Shariq Cover illustration: Sayara Media and Communications Design and printing: The Army Press © 2004 The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU). All rights reserved. Preface In 2002, AREU released the first A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance during a time of great change in Afghanistan. At that time, coordination mechanisms and aid processes were changing so fast that old hands and new arrivals alike were sometimes overwhelmed by the multiplicity of acronyms and references to structures and entities that had been recently created, abolished or re-named. Two years on, this, the third edition of the guide, is also coming out during a tremendous time of change in Afghanistan. For the first time in over two decades, the country is preparing for national elections, scheduled for autumn 2004 (presidential) and spring 2005 (parliamentary). Given the importance of the elections over the next six months, this edition includes a section focusing on elections that provides an overview of the election law, political parties, the timetable for elections, electoral districts and other critical information to assist you in understanding the political process. The elections section also includes a handy question and answer guide to the elections. Like the previous editions of the A to Z Guide, the purpose of this third edition is to provide a manual of the terms, structures, mechanisms and coordinating bodies critical to the Afghanistan relief and reconstruction effort to help ensure a shared vocabulary and common understanding of the forces at play. The edition also features a guide to the Afghan government, updated maps, a contact directory to make navigating the assistance community easier, and a section on other resources such as media organisations, research centres, and information about Afghanistan online. As in the past, the A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance remains a "live document." Contacts and information change daily, and inevitably some of the facts will have already altered by the time the Guide is printed. For this reason, AREU intends to update this guide periodically in printed form and on a more regular basis on the AREU web site at www.areu.org.af. We therefore encourage you to contact AREU with any additions, corrections and suggestions. Please send all comments to [email protected]. Finally, AREU would like to thank the governments of Sweden and Switzerland and the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) for their continued support that has made publications like this A to Z Guide possible. Andrew Wilder Director Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) August 2004 iii About the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) is an independent research institution that conducts and facilitates quality, action-oriented research and analysis to inform policy, improve practice and increase the impact of humanitarian and development programmes in Afghanistan. It was established by the assistance community working in Afghanistan and has a management board with representation from donors, UN agencies and NGOs. Fundamental to AREU’s purpose is the belief that its work should make a difference in the lives of Afghans. AREU is the only humanitarian and development research centre headquartered in Afghanistan. This unique vantage point allows the organisation to both produce valuable research and ensure that its findings become integrated into the process of change taking place on the ground. AREU believes that one of the most critical issues confronting assistance activities in Afghanistan is the lack of reliable data and analysis to inform policy and programming. Consequently, policy makers and practitioners are often forced to base their work on untested assumptions, often with significant negative consequences for the quality of assistance activities in Afghanistan. As part of the effort to address this critical issue in Afghanistan, AREU’s core activities are to: • conduct and facilitate action-oriented research, analysis and strategic level evaluations on issues of relevance to humanitarian and development work; • facilitate and create space for reflection, discussion and debate; • inform policy and improve practice through information dissemination and advocacy strategies; and • contribute to building research capacity in Afghanistan. In the past year, AREU has published research on rural and urban livelihoods, elections, government and subnational administration, agricultural policy and livelihoods, land relations across the provinces, and security. AREU has several ongoing research programmes on gender and decision-making, transnational networks, rural livelihoods, and urban vulnerability and governance. AREU also maintains a web site (www.areu.org.af), a resource library and publishes a research newsletter to help the assistance community to access current and historical research on Afghanistan. Current funding for AREU is provided by the European Commission (EC), the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan (UNAMA), the UK Department for International Development (DFID) and the governments of Sweden and Switzerland. Funding for this third edition of the Guide comes from UNAMA and Sweden and Switzerland. iv Table of Contents Preface ............................................................................................................................iii About AREU.....................................................................................................................iv I. Glossary of Mechanisms, Processes, and Other Assistance-Related Structures .....................................................................1 II. Guide to the Afghan Government .........................................................................63 The Government of Afghanistan...............................................................................65 Glossary of Government Terms ...............................................................................73 Post-Bonn Cabinet Members ...................................................................................74 The Central Government of Afghanistan, July 2004................................................ 76 The Afghanistan Judicial System, July 2004............................................................77 III. Guide to Elections in Afghanistan ........................................................................79 National Elections ....................................................................................................81 Electoral Timelines ...................................................................................................85 Election Q&A ............................................................................................................87 Electoral Law..........................................................................................................100 Political Parties Approved and Awaiting Approval by the MoJ ...............................116 Electoral Constituencies.........................................................................................118 IV. Key Documents ....................................................................................................121 2004 Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ......................................123 The National Development Framework (draft, April 2002) .....................................154 The Bonn Agreement (December 2001) ................................................................162 V. Maps ......................................................................................................................173 Provincial Map of Afghanistan................................................................................175 Population Map of Afghanistan...............................................................................176 City maps of Kabul UN Agencies...................................................................................................177 Embassies, Ministries, Commissions and Courts...........................................178 City map of Herat....................................................................................................179 City map of Jalalabad.............................................................................................180 v City map of Kandahar.............................................................................181 City map of Kunduz ................................................................................182 City map of Mazar-i Sharif ......................................................................183 VI. Contact Directory (organised by province)..............................................185 Donors Commercial Services Foreign Missions Government of Afghanistan International Organisations Military Non-governmental Organisations Private Sector Development Companies United Nations and Multilateral Organisations VII. Resources .................................................................................................249 General Background...............................................................................251 Development and Reconstruction Information