The World Bank said on Wednesday it launched a stakeholder’s consultation to identify economic initiatives to support and sustain peace in Afghanistan following a potential political settlement with the Taliban.
It said that after several consultations with international and Afghan stakeholders, the bank is now seeking broader input from all stakeholders and released several draft documents to facilitate the process.
The bank said that it was tasked to support planning for post-peace settlement economic development projects and programming at the 2018 Geneva Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan.
“First, we want to show that a peace agreement can bring substantial economic benefits to all Afghans and is in the interest of all parties involved in the ongoing conflict,” World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan Henry Kerali said. “Second, we want to identify potential principles and themes to guide programming decisions following a settlement. Finally, we want to provide some concrete ideas about the kind of programs that could be scaled up or initiated to maintain peace and realize new economic opportunities in Afghanistan.”
The consultations come at a critical time for Afghanistan, he said.
“The World Bank is merely providing technical analysis and is not involved in any negotiations; our priority is to plan for the future of Afghanistan,” Kerali said. “Peace prospects can improve if the right economic conditions are in place and create job opportunities for those who might otherwise take up arms.”
Kerali also noted that public input would be vital to ensure effective planning.
The bank invited public comment on three documents it published on its Afghanistan website.
