Source: Xinhua
http://english.people.com.cn/200706/03/eng20070603_380469.html
UPDATED: 15:49, June 03, 2007
A major conference to boost the private sector in war-torn Afghanistan would be held in the capital Kabul , a statement said Sunday.
The conference, which would be held from Monday to Tuesday, would spotlight the private sector in this country, inclusive of business and civil society, with a focus on how this sector can become an important catalyst for the development of the country, it said.
The conference would be hosted by the Afghan government, the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN), in partnership with the World Bank, the UN Development Program and the Asian Development Bank, said the statement, which was issued by the AKDN.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai and other senior officials as well as ambassadors of many countries to Kabul are expected to attend the conference, which would include seminars, plenary sessions and so on.
The underlying premise of the conference is that Afghanistan's long-term development is not only dependent on the government or international aid organizations, but on a lot of small actors, such as entrepreneurs, village organizations, business associations, and small-and medium-sized companies, the statement said.
The AKDN, which is the host of the conference, is a group of private, international, non-denominational agencies working to improve living conditions and opportunities for people in some of the poorest parts of the developing world, especially in Asia and Africa.
After the collapse of the Taliban regime over 5 years ago, the private sector and economy has made significant progress in this central Asian country, playing a great role in its reconstruction and development.