HERAT - International donors met with local officials to coordinate projects belonging to the Provincial Development Plan (PDP). The meeting was held at the UNAMA office in Herat and the goal was to review plans in order to facilitate effective partneship and coherent engagement of Afghan and international stakeholders at subnational level.

Herat’s annual PDP contains 706 projects of which 125 are earmarked as “Top Priority” needing financial support from international donors. Executing these Top Priority Projects is expected to cost $35 million. These projects range from building more schools in remote areas to constructing dams to supply energy to irrigation initiatives.

“Similar conferences should be held on quarterly basis, which will boost the level of coordination for efficient project implementation,” said Dawood Shah Saba, the governor of Herat.

UNAMA was proud to support the coordination efforts.

“We were delighted to be the host of this meeting because it fits exactly with UNAMA’s mandate and that is to support the government on many ways. Today was about the support we provide in relation to development; so bringing international donors together to receive a presentation of the Herat Provincial Development Plan is an excellent starting point.,” said Andrew Macgregor, UNAMA’s head of office for the Western Region.