A peaceful country was desired by all and a negotiated end to the violence was widely seen as necessary but not easy to achieve. But for a just and durable settlement, it was also widely perceived that the legacies of past and present conflict will need to be addressed.

Insufficient attention has been given to local governance in Afghanistan, despite the fact that most Afghan citizens encounter the state in the provinces and districts. Current local government institutions offer few opportunities for Afghans to express their needs, and for administrators to respond to them.

The ninth edition of AREU’s flagship publication: a guide to the terms, structures, mechanisms, and coordinating bodies critical to the Afghanistan relief effort, plus an extensive contacts directory. This edition also contains a special Elections 2009-10 section.

Featuring project summaries, live links and detailed descriptions of every AREU publication since 2001, our new catalogue offers a comprehensive resource for researchers, policymakers and anybody with a broader interest in development in Afghanistan.