The Bilateral Security Agreement in Afghanistan

Critics who support President Karzai’s position agree that a bilateral security agreement between the United States and Afghanistan should pave the way for lasting peace and security.

Various analysts have considered 2014 to be an important year for Afghanistan. Many things are to happen here that will define the country’s future.

In addition to the upcoming presidential elections, the US-led coalition is set to end its combat mission by the end of 2014 and reach an agreement with the Afghan government on the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA). In principle both sides agree on signing the agreement; however, the following explains why the pact has yet to be signed.

Fate of the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA)

The BSA is an important document that extends access to military bases in Afghanistan to US forces. It also establishes guidance for the US military in post-2014 Afghanistan, after most of the international combat forces would be withdrawn.

In general, there is eagerness among the Afghan people to sign the agreement with the United States and perhaps a similar one with NATO, and continue to build on cooperative relations with the international community.

This was obvious in the historic consultative Loya Jirga in Kabul where unanimous support was voiced for the signature of the document. However, as correctly pointed out by President Karzai, Afghans also want the agreement to set a break from the past and lead to serious peace talks and genuine peace and security in Afghanistan.

Critics in Afghanistan who support President Karzai’s position agree that an Afghan-US agreement should not be only a nicely worded, rhetorical document: It should pave the way for lasting peace and security. Otherwise, the status quo will continue.

Afghans do not want the continuation of the status quo

As much as there is a general desire for a continued international presence, there is also a similar desire of a brokered diplomatic solution. The Afghan President believes that the international community can mediate such a deal.

Moreover, in light of the BSA agreement, Afghans want to continue their march towards a more prosperous and democratic society. In the past 12 years, Afghanistan’s GDP has increased, infrastructure has improved, and financial services and telecommunication has expanded significantly. The Afghan private sector development has helped in job creation and economic development, and it continues to have great potential for development and investment in mining, human resources, transportation and local production.

However, the uncertainty and insecurity poses a serious threat to these sectors and undermines all progress including improvement in women’s rights, good governance and civil society development.

The BSA therefore needs to respond to the uncertainty. It needs to guarantee that an agreement, just like the NATO agreement, should encompass and guarantee a measurable success. It should be a concise proposal for better security across Afghanistan.

If the BSA promises these results, Afghan President Karzai or his successor may sign the agreement sooner than later.

--
Note: The article was also published here: http://www.sharnoffsglobalviews.com/bilateral-security-agreement-206/

Fighting Poverty Today

Our generation has experienced unprecedented progress in the reduction of global poverty. Millions of poor have come out of poverty in India, China, Brazil, South Africa, Pakistan and other countries. However, poverty is still threatening million around the globe and is still a serious cause for conflicts, violence and instability.

I believe that advancing the following issues will have a more profound impact on poverty reduction in the decades to come:

Economic growth

In general terms, economic growth has played a critical role in mitigating global poverty. Developments in technology, access to finance and globalization have been at the core of economic growth that has enabled many countries to escape poverty. Accelerated by these factors, economic growth will continue to play an important role in poverty reduction in the years to come.

Technology

Innovations in technology have enhanced the poor’s capacity to deal with poverty. Developments in telecommunication technology such as mobile phones and online markets have enabled millions around the globe to use for building small and medium size businesses.

Technology also helps them access inputs and market their products globally. These technology improvements and affordable use in underprivileged areas will have a profound impact on enabling the poor to fight poverty.

Access to Finance

Access to small loans has accelerated economic growth in many poor societies and has helped them come out of poverty. The poor’s ability to access finance, particularly micro-finance, has helped millions in countries such as Bangladesh to start and maintain small businesses. Underprivileged people’s access to finance has helped remove the middlemen who used to charge outrageous interest on their loans to the poor.

Now, legal microfinance schemes have enabled poor women and men in rural areas to benefit from the profits of goods and services they produce more directly.

Globalization

Globalization has played an important role in economic growth for global societies. Various facets of globalization, such as improvements in communication technology including the internet, transportation hubs, the proliferation of knowledge and skills across national boundaries, the connection and remittance of the diaspora to local communities and the use of the English language, have helped many depressed societies.

Women’s Empowerment

A second major and critical development in the global poverty reduction campaign is the development and empowerment of women. Women’s empowerment has enabled them to undertake non-traditional jobs outside their homes making them more productive citizens as well as better equipped to deal with poverty.

Women’s ability to contribute more efficiently to society has eased the burden of dealing with poverty in their societies. Better access to education and other technical skills and improvements in women’s rights coupled with targeted programs promoting women’s entrepreneurship has played an important role in poverty reduction.

For Afghanistan

Afghanistan, a country grappling with poverty, needs to learn from these suggestions. The Afghan government and other stakeholders including civil society should lobby for and implement policies that targets poverty. Maintaining strong economic growth, which was nearly at 10 percent in the past decade, and improvement in Afghan women’s access to education and participation in the economy needs to continue to help transform Afghanistan into a more prosperous society.

Note: The article was also published here: http://www.sharnoffsglobalviews.com/poverty-fight-global-249/