Spotlight: Brussels Afghanistan meeting kicks off, emphasizes economic cooperation, women empowerment

The Brussels Conference on Afghanistan, co-hosted by the European Union (EU) and the government of Afghanistan, kicked off on Tuesday with an event on regional economic cooperation and another on women empowerment in Afghanistan.

With the overall aim of generating international support for the Afghan reform and ensuring continued international political and financial support to bolster Afghanistan's economic stability, development and state-building processes over the next four years, the two-day conference is bringing together leaders from more than 70 countries worldwide, 20 international organizations and agencies, and a vast range of stakeholders.

According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the war-torn country's GDP growth has declined from an average of 10 percent over the period 2002-2012 to 1.3 percent in 2014. In 2015 it grew slightly to 1.5 percent. Poverty rates and unemployment have also risen recently, with more than 39 percent of the population now living in poverty and unemployment standing at 39 percent.

In order to find ways to increase Afghanistan's economic self-reliance, the international meeting first emphasized on regional cooperation and economic integration, which are key elements of sustainable inclusive economic development, inter-connectivity and stability for the country.

The representatives from around the world, including Afghanistan's regional partner countries, as well as the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank and other multilateral organization and representatives of the Afghan private sector discussed how best to mobilize support for projects with a regional impact and how to promote regional trade and development by linking policy reforms, infrastructure and regional connectivity.

"By building better regional infrastructure, respecting the rule of law and fostering a business-friendly environment, Afghanistan - and its regional partners - can become a vibrant regional economic hub," Neven Mimic, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development, said.

However, participants stressed that regional economic cooperation can create win-win results but requires dedicated, long-term and reliable partnerships.

"This is especially true for regional infrastructure where financial investments, also by new partners, will begin to pay off in the years to come," according to a statement released after the discussion.

Another event on the first day of the international conference focused on the rights of women, and women's participation in society and in the peace process.

The high-level participants and panelists from across the international community took stock of developments in the country over the last decade, and concluded that while many positive changes have occurred in the lives of women and girls in Afghanistan, further improvement of the situation of Afghan women is essential for the country's development and should remain a priority.

"The empowerment of women is not only a matter of human rights and social justice; it is also about development; it is about human growth; it's about security; it is about fulfilling the potential of Afghanistan", stressed by Federica Mogherini, the EU's foreign policy chief .

According to an EU statement, gender mainstreaming is a crucial component of the EU's assistance: 53 percent of EU programs have gender equality as a significant objective.

"Afghan women can be the key to a prosperous Afghanistan - it is exactly their enormous potential that can make all the difference. Therefore we must create the conditions that will enable women to have equal access to land, resources and finances, and to become full participants in every aspect of the economy," Neven Mimic added. Enditem