Follow-On Notes on the Legal Aspect of Urban Planning in Afghanistan

306-C-00-11-00514-00, aims to develop a robust, enduring, and Afghan-owned and-managed land market framework that encourages investment and productivity growth, resolves/mitigates land-based conflict, and builds confidence in government's legitimacy. The project's primary government partners are MAIL/Arazi, the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs (MUDA), the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG), the Supreme Court, and selected local municipalities. The LARA project's objectives include improving property rights delivery, enabling all citizens to exercise their rights through public information awareness, strengthening land dispute resolution processes, promoting economic development, and strengthening institutional, policy, and legal reform. These objectives are supported by three components: "Informal Settlements & Formalization," "Legal Framework," and "Capacity Building." The "Informal Settlements & Formalization" component supports MUDA, AGCHO, IDLG, and the Municipality of Jalalabad with informal settlements upgrading, formalization, cadastral mapping, laws for urban planning and land use regulation, and training in planning and enforcement. This component also strengthens tenure security by supporting the Supreme Court and communities with rights formalization and informal dispute resolution. The "Legal Framework" component provides limited assistance to MAIL/Arazi to identify, manage, lease, and obtain revenue from Afghan government lands and provides targeted technical assistance. The "Capacity Building" component builds capacity of public and private sector land service providers to improve and streamline land tenure processes. A roundtable meeting was held on March 27, 2013, at the office of H.E. Engineer Pashtun, Senior Technical Adviser to the President. The meeting focused on the main deficiencies and gaps in the existing legal framework for urban planning and discussed the legislative challenges and proposed solutions in regard to institutional arrangements, types and contents of development plans, procedures for preparation, revision, and approval of development plans. The meeting also discussed the disparity between the law and the practice and agreed on the need to shift from the current approach of trying to address such issues administratively or politically to dealing with them legislatively. The meeting was attended by senior urban planners and advisers from MUDA and the Independent Board of Kabul New City Development, Dehsabz-Barikab City Development Authority (DCDA). The participants agreed on the need to address the main issues through legislative reform and to shift from the current approach of trying to address such issues administratively or politically. The meeting was useful in terms of building consensus amongst key urban planners and pertinent officials on critical issues pertaining to the legal aspects of urban planning and processes for legislative reform. The Ministry of Urban Development Affairs (MUDA) plays a crucial role in the LARA project, and the project's success depends on the effective implementation of the legal framework for urban planning in Afghanistan. The project's objectives and components are designed to address the main deficiencies and gaps in the existing legal framework for urban planning and to promote economic development, stability, and confidence in government's legitimacy. The LARA project's implementation is ongoing, and the project's progress is being monitored and evaluated regularly. The project's success will depend on the effective implementation of the legal framework for urban planning in Afghanistan and the ability of the project's partners to address the main issues through legislative reform.