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ARTF endorses new four-year partnership and financing program for Afghanistan

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The Steering Committee of the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), a multi-donor trust fund administered by the World Bank, on Wednesday endorsed a new four-year partnership and financing program for Afghanistan, the World Bank said in a statement.

The program was endorsed at the ARTF’s annual meeting that was co-chaired by Mohammad Khalid Payenda, Acting Minister of Finance of Afghanistan, and Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region.

According to the statement, Afghan government officials, ambassadors, and representatives from donor countries, and international organizations, who attended the meeting, discussed how the ARTF will continue to support the Afghan government to advance its development agenda and respond to the negative impacts of COVID-19.

The newly-endorsed Partnership Framework and Financing Program (PFFP) 2021 – 2024 guides ARTF investments and outlines how new donor contributions will support the Afghan government’s development agenda and policies, the statement read.

The new PFFP focuses on six priorities: gender equality, conflict sensitivity, and climate, and it emphasizes strong fiduciary controls in ARTF projects, strategic technical assistance, and close portfolio monitoring to deliver results.

“The ARTF is the main forum for our dialogue with international partners on development and is the key contributor to Afghanistan’s continuing efforts to bring development benefits to our people. ARTF is more important than ever in the current transition, and we very much welcome the international community’s continued support,” Payenda said.

ARTF is a key source of funding for Afghanistan’s national budget and implementation of the second Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework (ANPDF 2), the statement added.

“Through the ARTF, the Government of Afghanistan works with international partners to reduce poverty, deliver essential services, sustain civilian budget operating costs, and implement critical reforms,” the statement read.

Hartwig Schafer, World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, stated: “The ARTF is the World Bank’s largest and longest-standing single-country multi-donor trust fund. As Afghanistan faces severe impacts from COVID-19 and political uncertainty, the ARTF continues to be instrumental in helping the government maintain the delivery of public services to the Afghan people.”

“Today’s meeting sent a strong signal that the World Bank and ARTF donors will continue to stand with the people of Afghanistan at this critical time and protect hard-won gains achieved in the past 20 years,” he said.

Developed in coordination with ARTF donors and the Afghan government, the new PFFP adjusts ARTF programs to Afghanistan’s fast-changing context and aligns with the ANPDF 2 and the Afghanistan Partnership Framework principles endorsed at the 2020 Afghanistan Conference, while remaining a flexible and adaptable instrument.  

“The Afghan government and the international community need to work together to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and achieve progress in the coming years,” said Henry Kerali, World Bank Country Director for Afghanistan.

“The World Bank Group remains committed to working with the Government of Afghanistan and its partners to ensure continued service delivery to the people of Afghanistan in these difficult times,” he added.

The ARTF Steering Committee also endorsed the Country Portfolio Performance Review that has helped ARTF donors identify challenges and opportunities in Afghanistan while developing the ARTF programs for the coming years.

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Afghanistan publishes 20 new laws and dozens of legal documents over five years

The documents include 20 laws, 77 decrees, 30 orders, eight guidelines, six procedures, three codes, two charters, one regulation, one directive and one legal framework.

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The Progress website, affiliated with the Government Media Centre, has reported that Afghanistan’s Ministry of Justice has published 20 laws and dozens of other legislative documents in 31 issues of the Official Gazette since the Islamic Emirate returned to power.

According to the published figures, the documents include 20 laws, 77 decrees, 30 orders, eight guidelines, six procedures, three codes, two charters, one regulation, one directive and one legal framework.

Among the laws published over the past five years are legislation on preventing land grabbing, hearing complaints, the promotion of virtue and prevention of vice, money changers and monetary services, as well as preventing the smuggling of food products and medicines.

The report highlights the Ministry of Justice’s legislative activities and the publication of legal documents through Afghanistan’s Official Gazette during the past five years.

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UN pledges to expand cooperation with Afghanistan as over 8 million migrants return home

Rabab said the United Nations intends to expand its cooperation with Afghanistan in several areas, alongside coordinating humanitarian assistance.

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Abdul Salam Hanafi, Administrative Deputy Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has met with Rabab Fatima, the newly appointed Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan, and her accompanying delegation to discuss humanitarian assistance, economic development and the challenges facing returning Afghan migrants.

During the meeting, Rabbah expressed her satisfaction at having the opportunity to serve the people of Afghanistan. She also spoke positively about development projects carried out in the country by the Islamic Emirate and expressed hope that efforts to promote economic growth and reconstruction would continue.

Rabab said the United Nations intends to expand its cooperation with Afghanistan in several areas, alongside coordinating humanitarian assistance. These include providing alternative livelihood opportunities for farmers, creating employment opportunities and expanding assistance to returning migrants.

She also praised the Islamic Emirate’s efforts to address the challenges facing returning Afghan migrants, describing the management of their return as one of Afghanistan’s major challenges.

For his part, Hanafi said more than eight million Afghan migrants have returned to the country, adding that the Islamic Emirate would use all available resources to support them and address their needs.

He further called on relevant institutions to strengthen efforts to protect the rights of returnees, create employment opportunities and provide adequate shelter.

The meeting comes amid ongoing humanitarian and economic challenges in Afghanistan, with support for returning migrants and expanded international cooperation remaining key priorities.

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Unexploded ordnance contaminates 901 square kms of land in Afghanistan

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Around 901 square kilometres of land across Afghanistan is contaminated with unexploded ordnance, posing a continuing threat to civilians, particularly children, Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority said.

Mohammad Yousuf Hammad, spokesperson for the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority, made the remarks in an interview with Afghanistan’s state-controlled national broadcaster.

Hammad said explosions involving landmines and unexploded remnants of war continue to kill and injure large numbers of Afghans every year.

He added that, with financial support from the United Nations Special Trust Fund for Afghanistan, more than 73,000 square metres of contaminated land had been cleared in Kunduz and Baghlan provinces by December 2025.

According to available figures, approximately 1,026 people were killed or injured in Afghanistan in landmine and unexploded ordnance explosions in 2021.

Decades of conflict have left large quantities of explosive remnants of war scattered across the country, creating persistent dangers for civilians.

Children remain particularly vulnerable, as unexploded devices can be mistaken for ordinary objects or encountered while playing and travelling through affected areas.

The reported contamination highlights the continuing need for mine-clearance operations, humanitarian assistance and public awareness programmes to protect communities and prevent further civilian casualties.

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