Building on Progress in Afghanistan: 2014 and Beyond

Featuring:
Ajay Chhibber
UN Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific

Opening remarks by:
Andrew Kuchins
Director and Senior Fellow, Russia and Eurasia Program, CSIS

Moderated by:
Daniel Runde
Director of the Project on Prosperity and Development and William A. Schreyer Chair in Global Analysis, CSIS

Monday, May 13, 2013, 2:00PM to 3:00PM

Please RSVP to PPD@csis.org.

Ajay Chhibber is United Nations Assistant Secretary-General and UNDP Assistant Administrator in UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific, managing UNDP programs in 39 countries, including Afghanistan. Representing UNDP’s unique perspective on development in Afghanistan, Mr. Chhibber will discuss the challenges and opportunities for Afghanistan’s development, particularly with the 2014 transition approaching.

Despite obvious shortcomings and many setbacks, Afghanistan has seen significant progress that is often overlooked in discourse on the future of the country. For instance, in just a decade, the number of mobile phones in Afghanistan has increased from zero to over 18 million. Meanwhile, some 3 million girls are attending schools in Afghanistan today—whereas under Taliban rule girls’ education was outlawed.

Mr. Chhibber, a development veteran, will provide his perspective on the current state of Afghanistan, its prospects going forward, and development successes that are sometimes overlooked.

Follow @CSIS and @UNDPDC for live updates: #Afghanistan2014