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ACBAR's Mission
Introduction
The Agency Co-ordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR) was created in August 1988, in response to the demand from the many aid agencies and their international donors for a coordinated approach to humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and for Afghan refugees in Pakistan.Originally,the organization was based in Peshawar, Pakistan, where it focused mainly on coordinating NGOs' humanitarian response. Since it moved to Afghanistan, ACBAR provides the framework within which Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), the Afghan Government, the UN and bilateral donors can exchange information, share expertise and establish guidelines for a more coordinated, efficient and effective use of resources for aid to the Afghan people. Its activities have focused heavily on information to its members and the aid community in general, coordination of activities at the national and regional levels, and advocacy on issues affecting the work of its members in Afghanistan.
ACBAR's Purpose:
ACBAR exists to serve and facilitate the work of its NGO members in order to address efficiently and effectively the humanitarian and development needs of Afghans. ACBAR exists primarily to serve the needs of its members and to act in their interest. To this end, ACBAR pursues three aims:
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To provide high quality information to ACBAR members and external stakeholders.
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To advocate for and represent the interests of the NGO sector in Afghanistan on behalf of its members.
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To promote high ethical and professional standards among the NGO community.
ACBAR's Main Strengths and Opportunities:
ACBAR's track record, reputation and credibility among the aid community have allowed it to voice the concerns of the NGO community with some success, and to coordinate effective responses to issues of critical importance to NGO work in the country. As such,
ACBAR plays a crucial role in representing the interests of NGOs to the government and donor community. In addition, ACBAR plays a crucial role in assisting communication between government and NGOs and helping to resolve problems both at the provincial and national levels.
ACBAR plays a key role in providing information to members and to external stakeholders such as donors, multilateral organizations and the media. Its ability to transmit information to its members is highly appreciated.
ACBAR is also in a unique position to provide information on the work and impact of NGOs in Afghanistan. ACBAR already collects information on its member organizations and their activities, and could enhance this role to provide more analysis and diffuse it more widely as members are requesting. The NGO Code of Conduct is highly regarded by members and seen as a necessary step toward increased professionalism and accountability of NGOs in Afghanistan.
ACBAR's leadership in establishing the code, training members and hosting the secretariat provide the basis for playing a key role in establishing standards for NGOs and supporting its members to meet them. Coordination has been a core activity for ACBAR since its inception, and continues to be important for its members. Whereas in the past, coordination of activities in a particular region was most important, other coordination mechanisms have been established in some regions. The need for coordination of activities varies from place to place, and among sectors. In general, there is a strong demand for punctual coordination around particular issues. In particular, ACBAR has helped to coordinate NGO responses to issues and challenges which has been much appreciated in recent years.
ACBAR's presence in Mazar-e-Sharif, Jalalabad and Herat through its regional offices has allowed for coordination activities to be carried out at provincial level, in areas where there is a strong concentration of NGOs. ACBAR's presence at the sub-national level is an opportunity to expand its activities in the regions, thereby making it easier for local staff of NGOs and for smaller NGOs based in the regions to benefit more broadly from their membership in ACBAR.
ACBAR's APPPA Project
ACBAR has recently completed the Afghanistan Pilot Participatory Poverty Assessment (APPPA). The APPPA was a twelve-month project (May 2007 to May 2008) funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with additional support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the State University of New York (with funding from USAID), Oxfam GB and ActionAid.
The APPPA aimed to collect, document, disseminate and advocate the perspectives of the poor - regarding poverty - into the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS). In addition, the outputs of the APPPA include a number of documents made available to the wider development community. These include:
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