In the United States, there is a sense of "Afghanistan fatigue." While there are certainly valid criticisms that can be levied against U.S. involvement in Afghanistan, a significant amount of social, economic, political, and public health progress has resulted from our engagement and Afghans' own hard work and commitment.

The under-five mortality and maternal mortality rates have nearly halved since 2000. Virtually no one in Afghanistan had electricity in 2000, but by 2016, nearly 85 percent of the population did. Women's education was practically non-existent under Taliban rule, but 3.5 million Afghan women are now enrolled in school. 170 radio stations, hundreds of print media outlets, and dozens of TV stations have opened since 2001 as free media, cell phones, television, and the internet have transformed Afghan society. GDP per capita has tripled since 2001, and official development assistance (ODA) as a percentage of central government expenditure decreased from 206 percent in 2006 to 59 percent in 2015. The Afghan National Army is now the primary group fighting the Taliban, and U.S. troop presence has dropped from 110,000 in 2011 to the current plan of 8,600. But Afghanistan's political progress and social gains are at risk of collapse if the United States chooses to completely disengage from the country. Given the mix of gains and disappointments, how do we establish the correct framework for U.S. engagement with a transitioning Afghanistan in 2020 and beyond?

This event is made possible through general support to CSIS.

As the world becomes increasingly urban and digital, smart cities are emerging as ground-zero for new approaches to development and governance. On Thursday, January 23rd, CSIS will convene a diverse panel of experts to distinguish between leading smart city models and discuss how their technologies, including in the areas of public safety and surveillance, are impacting the power of citizens, governments, and corporations, both within and between countries. 

Featuring keynote remarks by:
Dr. Sokwoo Rhee, Associate Director for Cyber-Physical Systems Innovation, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)

A presentation by:
Jonathan E. Hillman, Director of the Reconnecting Asia Project and Senior Fellow of the Simon Chair in Political Economy, CSIS

And a panel discussion with: 
Dr. Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Assistant Professor, University of Missouri
Michelle Holland, Director of Consulting & Deals, PwC Canada and former Chief Advocate for the Innovation Economy, City of Toronto
Abha Joshi-Ghani, Senior Adviser, World Bank
Michael Sherwood, Director of Technology and Innovation, City of Las Vegas

Moderated by: 
Peter Raymond, Senior Associate, CSIS

Please join us on Tuesday, December 3 for a public event focused on Sustainable Development Goal #1, which aims to decrease poverty and ensure social protections for the poor and vulnerable, increase access to basic needs and services, and support people harmed by natural disasters and other extreme events.

Predictions suggest that 6 percent of the world population will still live in extreme poverty in 2030. People who live in extreme poverty face deprivation from social goods and services, and often live in areas where poverty is exacerbated by conflict or natural disasters. Through Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) #1, the United Nations seeks to end extreme poverty, measured as people living under $1.25 a day, by ensuring all people have access to economic resources, reducing the poor’s vulnerability to climate disasters and other shocks, and implementing national social protection systems and measures for all. Despite many countries including social protections within their government spending, these programs need to be brought to scale. Although the number of people living in poverty has decreased since 2015, the rate of poverty reduction is slowing and ultimately means the world will miss the United Nations target of less than 3 percent.

This event is part of the "Chevron Forum for Development" series focused on the SDGs and made possible with general support from Chevron. So far, we have hosted events focused on SDG#7: Affordable and Clean Energy, SDG#16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions, SDG#17: Partnerships for the Goals, and SDG#11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. Our most recent event was focused on SDG#4: Quality Education.

Please join CSIS for an armchair discussion with the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani. The conversation will focus on the progress of women and their role in the peace process in Afghanistan.
 
Women have made great economic and social strides in the past 15 years. More than 3.6 million girls are in school and women are now allowed to work, both of which are essential to peace and stability in Afghanistan. However, the work is not over. It is vital that the progress continues and that women are not forgotten in the search for peace.
 
We are pleased to host the First Lady of Afghanistan Rula Ghani, who has been a champion on these issues. Mrs. Ghani plays an active role as first lady, supporting efforts to fully integrate women and girls into Afghan society and into the workforce. In May 2016, she brought together prominent Afghan women from Kabul and gave them a platform to discuss women’s roles in contributing to peace. She held another symposium in 2017 to discuss the role of Afghan women as messengers of peace.
 
This event is made possible by general support to CSIS.
 

On October 8, 2019, the Council of the European Union published a report by a High-level Wise Persons Group on the European financial architecture for development. The report made bold suggestions for setting a stronger policy direction for European development finance and called for consolidating responsibilities between the European Commission, European Investment Bank (EIB) and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). It also called for a greater emphasis on Africa and climate change in investments by all of European development finance institutions (DFIs) and aid agencies. These proposals make it worth reviewing DFIs' role in mobilizing private investment is and in job creation.

DFIs are instrumental in bridging investment gaps and steering private capital into developing countries. Many groups reference the transformative power and scale of the private sector as the answer for filling global development investment gaps, but questions remain from these private institutions around risk and other issues. Private sector development funding now outpaces official development assistance (ODA), underlining the important role DFIs can play in the global development community. DFIs are essential to catalyzing private investment and building the relationship between private sector industries and public sector institutions. There are many channels, including financing for policy reforms, that enable investment within the private sector and improve infrastructure. This will ultimately create jobs, boost growth, and set an example for other private businesses and investors. Maximizing private investment in target markets, therefore, will expand job impact and contributions to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
 
CSIS is hosting this event in partnership with EDFI-the Association of European Development Finance Institutions. 
 

The Inter-American Development Bank (IADB) is celebrating 60 years of existence. The IADB is the largest source of development financing for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. 19 of the 26 borrowing countries in the region are defined as “small states.” These small states rely on the IADB’s deep expertise and long-term partnership in ways that larger borrowing countries do not. Since the IADB’s Ninth General Capital Increase, the IADB has aimed to dedicate at least 35 percent of its annual lending approval volume to the small states of Latin America and the Caribbean. In conjunction with the 60 anniversary celebration of the IADB, CSIS is hosting this public event to explore the contributions, challenges, and opportunities of the IADB in small states.

Agenda:
 
3:30 PM-3:45 PM: Opening Remarks
3:45 PM-4:45 PM: Panel Discussion
4:45 PM-5:00 PM: Audience Q&A
5:00 PM-6:00 PM: Event Reception

Please join us for this timely discussion on Wednesday, September 25. Upon conclusion of the event, a reception from 5:00-6:00 PM will take place on the first floor.

This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.
 

Peace talks with the Taliban have dominated recent headlines. If a peace agreement is ever reached, it is worth looking to the future to see how that peace can be maintained and strengthened.

What would come next from economic development and governance perspectives? How do we move beyond foreign aid and security cooperation driven paradigms to one that focuses on private sector growth and new investments in promising sectors? Robust policies accepted at the national and local levels, good governance, women’s empowerment, tangible demonstrations of continued security, and other changes would be critical to building upon any eventual peace agreement. And that peace agreement, if it ever comes, will only be worth the paper on which it was written should Afghanistan be unable to move into a new, more sustainable chapter in its history.

This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.