Research for a Better Afghanistan IMPORTANT NOTE: The information presented in this guide relies on the voluntary contributions of ministries and agencies of the Afghan government, embassies, development agencies and other organisations representing donor countries, national and international NGOs, and other institutions. While AREU undertakes with each edition of this guide to provide the most accurate and current information possible, details evolve and change continuously. Users of this guide are encouraged to submit updates, additions, corrections and suggestions to [email protected]. © 2012 Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the publisher, the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit. Permission can be obtained by emailing [email protected] or by calling +93 (0) 799 608 548. Research and writing: Hugo Jackson Government: Oliver Lough, Hugo Jackson, Anna Larson and Jay Lamey Maps: Mohammad Karim and the team at the Afghan Geodesy and Cartography Head Office Provincial Profiles: World Bank Contacts: Sheela Rabani and Najibullah Yazdani Media Guide: Mujeeb Khalvatgar and the team at Nai Media Special thanks: Mir Ahmad Joyenda, Mustafa Safi, Hamed Sarwary, Kay Schwendinger, Royce Wiles, Sheela Rabani Cover photograph: An engineer checks the gas pipes at Gerquduq filtering house, close to the Shiberghan gas fields (Jawad Jalali/Afghan Eyes Photo Agency). Tab photographs: (A to Z) Installation of Radio Killid broadcasting antenna in Karte See, Kabul City/ Najibullah Musafer (Killid Group); (Government) 2010 parliamentary election campaign poster, Kabul City/Jawad Jalali (Afghan Eyes Photo Agency); (Documents) School students march in front of the President and Cabinet in celebration of Education Day, Kabul City/Najibullah Musafer (Killid Group); (Maps) Samangan-Mazar Highway/Jawad Jalali (Afghan Eyes Photo Agency); (Provincial Profiles) Villager purchasing a solar panel from Shinwary District Bazar, Parwan Province/ Najibullah Nusafer (Killid Group); (Contacts) Journalists interview a man for TOLO TV, Kabul City/ Jawad Jalali (Afghan Eyes Photo Agency); (Index) Public bathing at Band-i-Amir, Bamiyan Province/ Oliver Lough (AREU). AREU gratefully acknowledges the financial assistance of the governments of Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom in publishing the tenth edition of the A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance. The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance Table of Contents About the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit ......................................................................iv About the A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance.......................................................................iv The AREU Library .............................................................................................................................v Contact Information ........................................................................................................................v AREU Publications 2011 ................................................................................................................vi A to Z: Contents .................................................................................................................................... 1 Government: Contents .......................................................................................................................83 Background ...................................................................................................................................84 Government in Afghanistan .........................................................................................................84 Elections in Afghanistan .............................................................................................................. 97 Documents: Contents ......................................................................................................................111 The Constitution of Afghanistan (2004) ...................................................................................112 Code of Conduct for NGOs engaged in Humanitarian Action, Reconstruction, and Development in Afghanistan (2005) .................................................................................141 Maps .................................................................................................................................................153 Provincial Profiles: Contents ............................................................................................................155 About this section .......................................................................................................................156 Contacts: Contents ...........................................................................................................................195 Provincial Contacts: Contents ....................................................................................................196 About this section ................................................................................................................197 Kabul ....................................................................................................................................198 Other Provinces ...................................................................................................................245 Pakistan ...............................................................................................................................306 Provincial Media Guide: Contents .............................................................................................307 About this section ................................................................................................................308 Kabul ....................................................................................................................................309 Other Provinces ...................................................................................................................318 Index..................................................................................................................................................343 Notes .................................................................................................................................................349 The A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance About the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit The Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit (AREU) is an independent research institute based in Kabul. AREU’s mission is to inform and influence policy and practice through conducting high- quality, policy-relevant research and actively disseminating the results, and to promote a culture of research and learning. To achieve its mission AREU engages with policymakers, civil society, researchers and students to promote their use of AREU’s research and its library, to strengthen their research capacity, and to create opportunities for analysis, reflection and debate. AREU conducts research on a wide variety of topics and produces dozens of research publications each year, ranging from policy-focused briefing papers to comprehensive issues and synthesis reports. Many are translated into Dari and Pashto. AREU also publishes the annual A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance and maintains a website (www.areu.org.af). AREU also regularly organises workshops and conferences to facilitate research use and enable and encourage debate among policymakers and other stakeholders. AREU was established in 2002 by the assistance community working in Afghanistan and has a board of directors with representation from donors, the United Nations and other multilateral agencies, and non-governmental organisations. AREU currently receives core funds from the governments of Denmark, Finland and Sweden. About the A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance Updated each year, the A to Z Guide to Afghanistan Assistance aims to enhance general understanding of the array of actors, structures and government processes related to aid and reconstruction efforts in the country. The guide provides: a wide-ranging glossary of assistance terms, an overview of Afghanistan’s system of government, a series of country and city maps, key primary documents, a breakdown of key development indicators on a provincial scale and an extensive contacts directory that includes government agencies, NGOs, donors, and international actors. Where not otherwise specified, all dollar amounts are USD. The guide is also published in Dari and Pashto. When the first edition of the A to Z Guide was published in 2002, the goal then—as it is now— was “to provide a guide to the terms, structures, mechanisms and coordinating bodies critical to the Afghanistan relief and reconstruction effort to help ensure a shared vocabulary and common understanding.” Over the years the guide increased in scope and size, but has always followed the same successful model. The information presented in the guide relies on the voluntary contributions of agencies and organisations, and the situation in Afghanistan can change rapidly. Users of the guide are encouraged to contact [email protected] with suggestions for additions, updates, corrections or improvements. iv Tenth Edition 2012 The AREU