Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Enhanced Integrated Framework ...

• Improved access for women to wider politicaland economical participation at nationaland regional levels.• Improved economic conditions for facilitatingthe return of refugees and reduce migration.Implementation frameworkThe re-establishment of Afghanistan as a majortrading hub at the heart of Asia will require thesupport of the key international players,namely the U.S., E.U., and the big economies ofSouth Asia and the Far East. Since early 2002,Afghanistan has signed at least 21 agreementsin trade, transit, transport and investment withcountries and organization in the region. TheDecember 2002 Kabul Conference on GoodNeighborly Relations, the December 2005 RegionalEconomic Cooperation Conference, heldin Kabul, and its subsequent follow up conferencesin New Delhi, and the more recent Pak-Afghan Regional Peace Jirga, held in Kabul on9-12 August 2007, are all important regionalinitiatives.Efforts to strengthen regional cooperation arebased on mutual benefit. Improving bilateral,regional and international trade relationships,for example, benefits all countries involved.Likewise, improving security benefits all countries.Part of the Government’s efforts will beto work with regional partners on implementingpractical project based activities. This includesand emphasis on increasing the transferof knowledge with regional partners. Increasingthe human interaction between Afghanistanand it’s neighbors, at the government, diplomatic,social and local level will lead to improvedrelationships.The Government is implementing a multifacetedPro-active Regional Diplomacy Program(PRDP). The PRDP will encompass security,political, economic and social aspects.Under the PRDP, the Government, throughrelevant Ministries, will commit the necessaryhuman and technical resources towards regionalcooperation capacity building programs,including the mobilization of Afghan Missionsin the regional countriesImproving security, governance, justice and therule of law continue to remain a central focus ofthe Government’s reform efforts. The Declarationof the cross-border Pak-Afghan RegionalPeace Jirga, , recommends further expansion ofeconomic, social, and cultural relations betweenthe two countries. It identifies the implementationof infrastructure, economic andsocial sector projects in the affected areas (inthe south-east) as a key part of bringing securityto the country. There is still some tensionstill prevalent in the region but the Governmentgives the highest priority to the developmentof projects to strengthen regional cooperation.In security, the Government will seekbetter intelligence sharing and cooperation incounter terrorism measures.From late 2002, the Government has adopted apolicy of joining effective regional groupings.Afghanistan is now the only country enjoyingmembership or affiliation of all the major regionaleconomic groupings of the surroundingregion. In addition to the Government’s ongoingefforts to accede to the World Trade Organization(WTO), it is also actively pursuingthe expansion of bilateral and regional tradeagreements with the countries of the region.While Afghanistan already has in place bilateraltrade agreements with India and Pakistan,the two largest members of the South Asia Associationfor Regional Cooperation (SAARC),there is considerable scope to increase tradewith South Asia now that Afghanistan has becomea full member of SAARC in April 2007.Since November 2005, Afghanistan has beenserving on the Contact Group of the ShanghaiCooperation Organization (SCO). In April2003, Afghanistan became a Partner of the Organizationfor Security and Cooperation inEurope (OSCE). Afghanistan also attended theSpecial session of the Regional AdvisoryCommittee of the United Nations Program forthe Economies of Central Asia (SPECA), held inAstana on 27 May 2005.Afghanistan is a signatory to a number of regionalconsultative processes that focus on developingframeworks to manage migration.The Government continues to make all possibleefforts to integrate politically, socially and economicallywith its regional neighbors.Cross-Cutting Issues 145