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Reconstruction and Development of Afghanistan

After twenty-five years of various conflicts, and parallel to the rebuilding of political and societal institutions of the state, Afghanistan is in the process of rebuilding physical infrastructures and economic foundations of the country. There have been remarkable achievements in the fields of reconstruction and development. However, since to many media outlets “good news” do not necessarily constitute as news
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Departments


Stoor Palace, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Departments

Protocol Directorate General

This department is one of the significant and key organs not only inside the MoFA but also among all ministries of Afghan government. It is responsible for all protocol services such as, organizing of invitations, conferences and seminars, arrangements of visits of High Ranking Foreign Officials to Afghanistan and vice versa, Protocol arrangements for reception of new ambassadors and so on. For further facilities, it is comprised of four desks:

  1. Protocol and Reception Desk
  2. Meeting and Appointments Desk
  3. Diplomatic Services
  4. Diplomatic Visa and Passports

 

First Poltical Division

This division is responsible for establishment and ensuring of political, economic and bilateral relations with the countries, such as, south and south East Asia, Far East and Common Wealth.

 

Second Political Division

In order to establish and improve efficient, diplomatic and friendly relationships on the basis of mutual and common interest, this department deals with the two important continents of the world, such as Middle East Countries in Asia, Iran, Turkey and all countries located in Africa Continent.

 

Third Political Division

This division deals with the 28 countries which located in South and East European Countries, the Baltic, Central Asia and Caucuses.

This Department like other political departments is trying to extend and develop political and diplomatic relations of Afghan government with the countries in its working area.


Fourth Political Division

For the purpose of promoting of foreign policy as well as ensuring political and bilateral economic relations, this division is to supervise and look after the affairs of those countries located in the working scope of this division.
This division is mainly responsible for dealing with 24 Western European countries on bilateral diplomatic relations basis. This directorate contains four working areas such as:

  1. Western European Countries
  2. Northern European Countries
  3. Southern European Countries
  4. European Union

 

Fifth Political Division

This Department is responsible for the political affairs of America’s continent, Canada, Latin America, New Zealand, Australia and South America. In addition, it renders more or less the same functions as other divisions do.

 

Regional Economic Cooperation Development

The main objectives of this Dept. is to ensure that collaboration with regional countries and with economic cooperation organizations in the region and beyond is developed to maximum, that constructive policies and programs to support Afghanistan are developed and implemented.

 

Multilateral Relations and International Financial Institutions:

The staff member of this Directorate shall manage and develop the work of Economic Relations Dept. in the field of multilateral relations with the international financial institutions. And it paves the ground for fully participation of MoFA in all relevant international programs and initiatives.

 

Trade, Transit and Investment Department

This directorate is responsible for all trade, trade related and investment issues and provides policy advice to the Deputy Foreign Minister. Further more, it encourages and facilitates foreign investment in Afghanistan and promotes exports of goods & services from Afghanistan as well as guiding the Economic Deputy Minister and MoFA contribution to the regional and international negotiations on trade matters and foreign investment issues.

 

Bilateral Relations Department

This office is responsible for all matters dealing with bilateral economic relations. The staff members of this office provide advice to the Deputy Foreign Minister on issues of bilateral economic relations and also they are trying to ensure that an “Early Warning System” is in place to permit ERC Division and MoFA more generally to detect emerging issues and trends in bilateral economic affairs. Establishing a program of regular meetings with Foreign Embassies in Afghanistan, and representing Afghanistan in meetings on bilateral economic relations are other basic tasks of this office.


UN Affairs Department

This office renders activities related to UN and International Conferences which Afghanistan is one of their members, including International Symposiums, Workshops, Seminars and Summits.
Besides, it deals with those affairs related to terrorism, drugs, ISAF, ICC, International Crimes, Interpol, International Court of Justice, Amnesty International, UNEMA, and IEA.
Further more, it paves the ground for official travels of High Ranking government officials to participate the aforementioned international conferences.

 

Planning and Policy Department

This Departments. is responsible for all matters dealing with policy and planning in Economic Relations Division. More over, it gives advice to Deputy Foreign Minister for economic affairs on the appropriate strategies and policies. And its objective is to ensure that high standard analysis is prepared to support the decisions which are made.

 

Center for Strategic Studies

The Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was founded in 2003 and is the first of its kind in Afghanistan. Its purpose is to give policy makers strategic depth in shaping Afghanistan’s foreign policy. The center is divided into three sections: Europe/America, Middle East/Africa, and Asia. Through tireless research and debate, a dedicated team of experts guide Afghanistan as it reasserts itself into regional and global geopolitics. In addition to its research activities, the CSS:

  1. Organizes academic seminars
  2. Participation in International Conferences
  3. Publications
  4. Cooperation with foreign counterpart institutions
  5. Research Projects

 

Institute of Diplomacy

This department aims to build and upgrade the professional and academic capacity of staff members of the Foreign Ministry. Further more, it increases the professional knowledge level of staff through conducting short and long term Diplomacy Courses, seminars and workshops.

 

Law & Treaties Department

As from its name it is clear, this office is responsible for studies, analysis, and evaluation of agreements, drafts of treaties, memorandums of understanding, which are signed by respective officials of other countries with Afghan counterparts in accordance with current laws and conventions which Afghanistan obtained its membership.

 

Cultural Affairs Department

This department is responsible for all cultural affairs and the main tasks it performs are as follow:
Processing and execution of all documents of nominees for scholarships, fellowships and other educational programs.
Exchange of textbooks between universities, schools other educational centers.
Paving the ground for building of universities, schools, and kindergartens in the country which are built by donors.
Paving the ground for participation of Afghanistan in international conventions in cultural fields as a member.
Establishment of cultural, friendly, Islamic and scientific Research Centers in Afghanistan and vice versa.

 

Office of Human Rights & Women's International Affairs

Since promotion and protection of human rights is a priority of the government of Afghanistan and one of the goals of Afghanistan Foreign Policy, this office functions as a liaison and coordinating office between relevant Afghan and International parties and it maintains partnership with international organizations and governments. It consists of two sections: 1. Human Rights 2. Gender and its main purpose is advancement of women and promotion of democracy as well as protection and promotion of human rights in Afghanistan.

 

This office is responsible for broadcasting and dissemination of foreign policy of MoFA to Afghan Representations abroad. More over, it is closely in contact with domestic and foreign media agencies and transfers all press releases, interviews, briefings of daily news and joint press releases to them.
They also prepare reports of official meetings and keeping records as well as taking photos. It is comprised of translators section and technical section which perform different functions.

 

Media & Relations Department

This office is responsible for registration of journalists who enter in Afghanistan and their agencies as well as arranging of accreditation letters to pave the ground for coverage of news, press conferences & interviews with government officials.
Further more, sending press releases and some other information to journalists and their agencies and inviting them to attend some press conferences with the government officials are other tasks of this office.

Besides, paving the ground for getting visa for those journalists whose visa dates are expired.

 

The Office of Chief of Staff

This office is responsible for:
Identifying the offices which official letters, President’s decrees, and other documents are sent, besides, writing letters, note verbal , instructions and orders of H.E Minister and sending them to the related offices as well as to President’s Office and Office of Administrative Affairs & Council of Ministers Secretariat .
Registration, copying and keeping records of all important official letters, decrees, note verbal are other tasks which this office performs.
Making over time charts for staff on duty. Making briefings and highlighting of letters, reports, news bulletins are other functions which this office carries out. In sum, all paper works are done through this office.

 

Office of Communication within MoFA

This office performs the following functions:
Receiving all letters and faxes which are sent to Archive.
Sending reports of MoFA’s Representatives to President’s Office.
After registration sending letters of MoFA’s divisions to Security Council and President’s Office.
Answering and making phone calls with Afghan Representations based abroad.
Distribution of urgent letters to related offices and so on.



Director General of Communication & Achieves

This directorate consists of two sub main departments: 1.Archive Department 2. IT & Communication Department which performs different activities within the framework of MoFA and each of them shall be described individually.

 

This department generally deals with all correspondences and documentations which are sent from outside of MoFA (other governmental organizations including NGOs, Foreign Embassies based in Kabul, and Afghan Embassies, General Consulates based abroad) and later after being identified and registered, they are sent and distributed to the related offices within MoFA and other Ministries. Besides, all confidential and significant documents (including historical Agreements & Treaties) are saved and kept here.

 

Technology Department

This office is responsible for all IT activities in the MoFA; generally it renders the following activities:
Installation of Operating System and Servers.
Maintenance and control of Network as well as telephones and fax system.
Checking and Repairing of computers, photocopiers, faxes , printers and all electronic equipments.
Designing and Development of Software for different offices in the MoFA.
Training courses of computer for the staff of Ministry and so on.

 

Director General of Administrative Affairs

This office is fully involved in all administrative affairs it performs all its duties through three following directorates:

  • Human Resource Directorate
  • Accounting Directorate
  • Procurement & Services Directorate

 

Human Resource Directorate

This office obviously responsible for recruitment, promotion, transformation of employees inside the MoFA and in Afghan Representations abroad, and in provinces.
Preparation of reports regarding the staff salary, control of employees’ attendance, identifying the ranks, preparation of appreciation and admiration letters are other basic tasks this office performs.

 

Finance & Accounting Department

The task and responsibilities of this Dept. are to deal with all finance and accounting affairs such as, Payments associated to internal affairs of MoFA (execution of the staff salaries, miscellaneous expenditures, issues of tickets, travel pays to those going abroad for official duties, payments on account of the purchase/provision of items required by the ministry, reimbursement of house rents etc.)
In addition, reimbursement referred to the country’s embassies and general consulates based abroad as well as revenues collection and provision of budget.

 

Procurement and Services Department

This office is responsible for all procurement and services affairs and it functions its duties through the following directorates as bellow::
Directorate of Procurement
Directorate of Transportation
Directorate of preparation and control
Directorate of Administrative Affairs & computer
Directorate of Storage & Ware house
Directorate of Agriculture Affairs
Directorate of Guest House
Each directorate has their own responsibilities and tasks in their working area which can not be briefed in one or two paragraphs.

 

Director General of Consular Affairs

This department is considered as an important and dense department since it carries out all complicated tasks and activities, in fact, in general it covers all consular affairs such as, issuance of service passports to government employees, issuance of visa to foreigner nationals, extension of visas for foreigners, extension of service passports, verification of Documents (ID Card, marriage and birth certificates, heritage letter), obtaining and losing Afghan Nationality etc.

 

Deputy for Consular Affairs

This office deals with the following desks:
Citizenship Affairs
Legal Issues
Criminal Matters
Prisoners’ Matters
Verification of Documents

 

Deputy for National Visa and Passport

This office deals with the following issues:
Issuance of Service Passports to government employees, Issuance of Scholarship passports, Extension of Scholarships passports, Extension of service passports, Afghan passports problems abroad, issuance of memorandum of visa demand to the service passport holders etc.

 

Deputy for Issuance of Visa for foreign nationals

This office deals with the issuance of visa to non diplomatic staff of embassies, officials of delegations and other international organizations, foreign experts who are cooperating the government departments free of charge, and extension of their visas.


Parliamentarian Affairs Dept

This department is a newly-established office in the MoFA. Its main purpose is mobilization and execution of activities related to the foreign relations of Afghanistan parliament, as well as expediting of these affairs. Further more, it strives to develop and establish relations between Afghanistan parliament and parliaments of other nations in the region and world.

 

Representatives in Provinces

All MoFA representatives in provinces (Herat, Balkh, Kandahar,Paktia, Kunduz and Nangahar) generally follow and implement the policies and goals of MoFA and present further facilities to the Foreign General Consulates and other foreign organization of course in contact with MoFA in their jurisdiction
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