The Future of Governance in Afghanistan: A Roundtable Discussion with Jelani Popal

Expanding the legitimacy, competence, and reach of government in Afghanistan is perhaps the central goal of Afghan and international efforts to stabilize the country. In 2007, President Karzai created the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG) to spearhead this effort.

Jelani Popal, founding director of the IDLG, will discuss initiatives to increase the presence of the central government in the provinces, develop public services, and improve transparency and accountability at the provincial level. IDLG is currently focusing its efforts on eleven priority provinces in Afghanistan that are characterized by extreme poverty and lawlessness, and are therefore most threatened by the growing insurgency. IDLG also seeks to address the growing alienation between the government and citizens by expanding the decision-making power of local Afghans.

Mr. Popal was previously Deputy Minister of Finance, and is founder and former director of the Afghan Development Association, a leading Afghan NGO for over twenty years. Read a New York Times article on his efforts here.

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