November 28, 2001	Wednesday	Ramazan 12, 1422

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ISLAMABAD, Nov 27: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has identified 10 key programmes for reconstruction of Afghanistan over a period of three years estimated to cost $245 million, Dawn learnt from reliable sources.

On the eve of the start of the three-day international conference on reconstruction of Afghanistan beginning in Islamabad on Tuesday, the sources said the 10 key UNDP programmes covered preparative activities including food security, focus on both urban and rural communities, promotion of alternative livelihood and addressing the needs of the most vulnerable.

“The UN will not have a trusteeship role but would act for provision of support, resources, technical assistance, advice, and capacity building to an Afghan-led administration and its communities to help build a new state in Afghanistan,” the sources said.

In the context of Afghanistan, the sources said the UNDP had already completed initial recovery plans for Afghanistan as well as for the neighbouring countries of Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.

The UNDP is one of the main agencies of the UN Development Group (UNDG) representing some 20-plus UN agencies funds, including UNHCR and OCHA, who have agreed to participate in the planning and policy discussions and operations.

A Bureau for Crisis Prevention and Recovery (BCPR) has been created in UNDP to strengthen the organizational capacity to deal with reconstruction crisis in Afghanistan.

The sources said the reconstruction planning and capacity building would be coordinated by the “Reconstruction Planning Unit” established in the UNDP country office.

The Unit is mandated to advise future administrations in Afghanistan, UN technical agencies and the PEACE programme (Poverty Eradication and Community Empowerment programme), on aspects related to national governance issues. However, the sources said, the unit was not supposed to cover all the recovery and reconstruction activities needed in Afghanistan but rather to cover the core activities for UNDP that would allow for further programme identification and design as the planning develops.