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Transparency International announces establishment of National Contact in Afghanistan

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Transparency Afghanistan will prioritise government procurement, business integrity, access to information, and anti-corruption commitments and institutions  

Transparency International is pleased to announce the establishment of Transparency Afghanistan, the global anti-corruption coalition’s new National Contact in Afghanistan. The new organisation will work closely with Transparency International, benefiting from international experience and local expertise to contribute to the fight against corruption in Afghanistan. 

Daniel Eriksson, Managing Director at Transparency International, said: “Afghanistan is not only a country facing severe corruption challenges with an especially critical link to national security and sustainable economic development, it is an incredibly challenging environment for transparency and accountability activists. We are proud to count Transparency Afghanistan as our National Contact and look forward to supporting the organisation’s critical efforts towards a more just and prosperous Afghanistan.” 

Transparency Afghanistan is an Afghan NGO licensed in Afghanistan by the Ministry of Economy. Accreditation as a Transparency International National Contact is the first step towards becoming a National Chapter, or full member, of the Transparency International movement.  

At a ceremony in Kabul on Tuesday, Mr. Suliman Assadullah, Interim Executive Director of Transparency Afghanistan, thanked Integrity Watch Afghanistan for its immense support in facilitating the establishment of Transparency Afghanistan over the last three years, and looked forward to future collaboration.  

According to Mr. Assadullah, the new organization proposes to focus on transparency in government procurements, advocate for business integrity, the accountability of Afghan anti-corruption institutions, fulfilment of the Afghanistan government’s anti-corruption commitments and citizens’ access to information. He added, “We will hold broad consultation with stakeholders on the strategic priorities of the organisation in Afghanistan for the next three to five years.” 

The Board of Transparency Afghanistan is chaired by Ms. Joy Saunders, and consists of Sayed Ikram Afzali, Dr. Ali Wardak, Ricardo Grassi, Habib Wardak, Nadia Bazidwal and Ainuddin Bahodry. Ms. Saunders said: “It is a very big day for us as we become the National Contact of Transparency International in Afghanistan. It is an international NGO that is well-respected around the world and has a huge amount of resources that we can use to build up our fight against corruption.”  

Annex I: Proposed priority areas of Transparency Afghanistan 

  1. Transparency in government procurement: Transparency Afghanistan proposes to work closely with the government of Afghanistan, civil society and anti-corruption institutions to improve public procurement in Afghanistan and eliminate fraud and misuse of resources. Transparency Afghanistan will specifically advocate for integrity pacts, enhancement of e-procurement systems and monitor public procurement processes at the National Procurement Agency and other ministries. 

  1. Integrity in businesses: Transparency Afghanistan will work closely with other civil society and anti-corruption institutions to institutionalise anti-corruption compliance in businesses in Afghanistan.  

  1. Anti-corruption institutions transparency: The government of Afghanistan with support from the international donors has established numerous anti-corruption institutions in Afghanistan in the last decade. However, corruption has not been contained and corruption has grown over the years. Transparency Afghanistan will conduct research and give recommendations to the government of Afghanistan and international community on how to improve the governance structures of the existing anti-corruption institutions and improve the autonomy and capacity of these institutions to work more effectively for the eradication of corruption in the country. 

  1. Anti-corruption commitments: Transparency Afghanistan is set to monitor progress of the commitments made under London Conference on Afghanistan, London Summit, Brussels Conference on Afghanistan, and the Afghan National Strategy for Combating Corruption.  In addition, following up on Open Government Partnership Afghanistan National Action Plan is another area. There are many commitments that need close follow-up and close collaboration with the government to implement them. 

  1. Access to Information: Transparency Afghanistan in close cooperation with Integrity Watch Afghanistan will work with civil society institutions and journalists to advocate for the access to information from the government institutions. Transparency Afghanistan will support efforts to open government and transparent information sharing by the government institutions, fostering the full implementation of the fundamental right to access public information and of the Afghan law enshrining that right, and enhancing the governmental political will on this regard through the implementation of complementary actions. 

Suliman Asadullah, Interim Executive Director, Transparency Afghanistan Organization 
s.assadullah@transparency.org.af or 0787635547 

Transparency International Press Office 
Press@transparency.org  

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