 by Mieko Nishimizu, Vice President, South Asia Region, The World Bank. October 11, 2002. Almost a year ago, as the coming cold signaled the approach of winter, we, the international community, made a commitment to the people of Afghanistan. A year later, lives in this country have changed in ways people dared not dream of before. People, indeed, now dare to dream and perhaps their dreams are bolder than they imagined they could be.
How bold have we been in response? With a new winter upon us, let us review our commitment with a cold and critical eye.
In November last year the international community met in conference just outside Afghanistan's borders, unable then to gather on Kabul's plain. Afghans, still without a government, came to that meeting in number and the international community welcomed them as the voice of Afghanistan.
The international community listened intently, and this, if I may sum up for all of us, is what we heard and shaped into the principles that should guide our efforts: reconstruction and development are one and the same for Afghanistan; the people of Afghanistan will own this reconstruction and development entirely. Look through the eyes of Afghans, we were challenged, listen deeply; the reconstruction engagement with Afghanistan will be a long-term, dynamic and evolving process; and there must be a balance between the political desire of the international community to ensure "peace dividends" quickly on the one hand, and the Afghan determination to find a balanced reconstruction and development path on the other.
So, have we held true to our guiding principles?
At that gathering, we determined overwhelmingly that the international response must ensure that aid does not become part of the problem instead of a part of the solution. This is what we told ourselves we had learned in lessons harvested from experience elsewhere:
avoid quick fixes that would be difficult to fix later; ensure good economic policy at the outset, build sound economic institutions; avoid a bloated bureaucracy; focus on core government responsibilities; and keep it simple; build first a comprehensive and realistic Afghan government budget to anchor the reconstruction effort and make sure that international assistance is coordinated and accountable to the Afghan authority.
So, how have we practiced these lessons?
At that same gathering we articulated the basic strategic drivers to frame our assistance:
we must build on the capacity, optimism and energy of all Afghanistan's diverse people despite the years of war and deprivation, and emphasize capacity building and local ownership in all our efforts; a vibrant private sector spirit, in business and NGO experience in social service delivery, must be at the center of Afghanistan's nation building; that women, as well as men, be fully engaged; the wisdom of a holistic approach seen from the point of view of the people and their community, must be honored in all sectors and programs; and good governance is the key, and we must help Afghanistan capture an extraordinary opportunity they have to build a nation based on strong civil society and good governance.
Have our strategies been formulated around these important drivers?
Today I ask these questions of our own work at the World Bank as much as any other. Have we held true? Can we spend these two days together in measuring ourselves against these early goals and commitments?
For the people of Afghanistan will continue to dream now, with or without us. Whether we can bring a brightness and a shape to these dreams will depend on our relevance and that relevance will be sharply judged by Afghanistan's people.
Let me leave you with the voices of the Afghan women who participated in that conference now nearly a year ago. They requested that our assistance be provided in ways that would be appropriate to the "cultural values of Afghanistan: solidarity, tolerance, respect, and love".
Have we?
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