London Conference on Afghanistan

Switzerland will remain a major cooperation actor in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) scheduled for the end of 2014. This is Switzerland’s message to an international conference on the reconstruction process in Afghanistan which is taking place this early December 2014 in London.

Since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2002, the SDC has focused its cooperation activities in Afghanistan around strengthening decentralised state structures and citizen participation in public affairs, respect for human rights and improving the living conditions of disadvantaged population groups, mainly in rural areas. These areas of activity will remain the SDC's priorities and contribute directly to the "Decade of Transformation" (2015-2024) decreed by the Afghan government and the donor countries.

Although the departure of the NATO troops will open up new horizons for Afghanistan, major challenges lie ahead. During last summer the country successfully carried out peaceful and democratic presidential elections, but the political situation remains tense. The presence of the SDC in Afghanistan reflects Switzerland's intention to focus its aid primarily on fragile contexts. As Marianne Huber, head of the Swiss cooperation office in Kabul, explains, this requires that the distribution of international aid be closely monitored on the ground.

Interview published in SDC's magazine “Un seul monde” 4/2014

 "What lies ahead for Afghanistan?" (PDF, 3 Pages, 492.9 kB, French)

Other languages

Eine Welt: Wie weiter in Afghanistan?
Quale futuro attende l’Afghanistan?