BRITISH & IRISH AGENCIES AFGHANISTAN GROUP: ABOUT BAAG / KEY MESSAGES
KEY MESSAGES FOR BRITISH & IRISH AGENCIES AFGHANISTAN GROUP (BAAG) AND NGOS JULY 2002Introduction
The BAAG Key Messages below reflect BAAG's position as at July 2002. Due to the rapid changes in the political, military and humanitarian environment it was agreed that these messages will be reviewed and updated on a regular basis, based on feedback from the field.
Primary Messages
1. The international community should remain committed to the re-establishment of Afghanistan as a peaceful functioning country adhering to international norms and should therefore promote practical processes that will achieve this.
2. Due regard should be given to the safety of Afghans participating in the rebuilding of their country and those threatening this should not be able to operate with impunity.
3. All initiatives should be grounded in existing knowledge and expertise and should aim to strengthen civil society in both urban and rural areas. The particular contribution made by experienced NGOs should be recognised as they have institutional memory as well as experience from elsewhere in the world.
4. Afghans should be in the lead in the processes leading to the rebuilding of their country and those involved should be representative of the tribal, religious, gender, age and ethnic mix of the country.
5. Expatriates should be engaged only when they provide added value and where it is not possible to recruit Afghan staff. Training should be provided for Afghan men and women in the skills that the new situation needs in the medium and long term. Expatriates should assist with humanitarian and development programmes in a transparent and professional manner. Their role is particularly relevant when they have technical skills to impart that are in short supply. All international personnel should either have experience of working in Afghanistan or be properly briefed before starting work and should be impartial, and accountable to the Afghan authorities as well as to beneficiaries and donors.
6. NGOs should be involved in the debate on relevant issues for NGOs worldwide, including their changing role in today's circumstances.
7. NGOs should engage with and thereby strengthen the central and local authorities in Afghanistan and work towards greater collaboration and coherence.
8. The return of refugees should take place on the basis of informed choice and in conditions that allow for the dignity and safety of the individual. Commitment should be maintained to support the communities that people are returning to and voluntary returns should be phased and co-ordinated and match the local capacity to absorb them.
9. All participants in the rebuilding of Afghanistan should take the time to reflect and to agree on the best way forward, rather than attempting short-term solutions that will not be the most appropriate or sustainable in the medium and long-term, and establish mechanisms to monitor this.
10. All participants in the rebuilding of Afghanistan should monitor and evaluate the intended and unintended effects of their work.
Time limited messages1. ISAF forces should be extended to other parts of Afghanistan, particularly Mazar, to establish security for the population.
2. Guidelines should be drafted for civil and military co-operation and should include the principle that there should be no confusion about which people are aid workers and which are soldiers
3. NGOs remain concerned about the poaching of their staff and the inability to establish a Code of Conduct in relation to staff.