Afghanistan looks forward to more changes in the new year

This December marks the fifth anniversary of the Bonn conference, which examined prospects for reconstruction in Afghanistan. On Monday, BBC News examined the progress that the nation has made over the past five years. Accomplishments such as presidential and parliamentary elections are only the first steps in the process of implementing large-scale reforms. According to Nader Nadery of Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, while substantial achievements have been made with respect to the quantity of reform objectives, “the quality is still missing.”

Indeed, the daily lives of Afghans haven’t been greatly altered. Unemployment is still rampant, widespread violence persists, and local officials continue to rule provinces with little regulation. These failures directly fuel the power of the opposition forces, such as the Taliban, which has risen to power in the southern provinces.

While international aid and support has poured into Afghanistan since the establishment of the new government, there are thoughts that these resources weren’t used appropriately. For example, new judiciary bodies and law enforcement forces that were instituted were never given the proper tools to truly maintain control. However, the country continues to move forward. NATO-led forces are determined to change Afghanistan for the better, with creating jobs a major point of focus in the reconstruction

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