Empowering Afghanistan: The elements of a “civilian surge”

In the SDA evening debate, NATO’s top civilian official in Kabul Simon Gass stressed the need to build support for the transition among the Afghan population by improving governance and the rule of law. He said the international community needs to reassure Afghans that it won’t abandon them after 2014. However in a sober assessment of the country’s prospects, speakers emphasized the need to manage expectations. They acknowledged that 2014 would find Afghanistan’s democracy, security and governance all in a fragile state.
The SDA is pleased to present the principal conclusions of the evening debate in this report.