In northwestern Pakistan, near the Afghan border, residents have long had limited opportunities to voice their opinions to local authorities. Since 2022, JICA has been supporting the creation of mechanisms to connect residents with local governments. A final seminar was recently held to share the results of this initiative.
Scenes from the Final Seminar
Local Assembly Established for the First Time in History
In the region formerly known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas of Pakistan, due to its unique social structure, the Pakistani government’s local administrative system had not been fully implemented until recent years, and the region maintained its own social system. For example, local issues were resolved through discussions among tribal elders based on traditional customs, rather than through elections.
Since the region was incorporated into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province in 2018, progress has been made in establishing a local self-government system, and in 2022, the region’s first-ever local council was established. However, the region is not only one of the poorest in Pakistan but also an unstable area that is highly susceptible to influences from Afghanistan.
Promoting Development Through the Participation of Local Residents, Including Women
Since 2022, JICA has been implementing a technical cooperation project titled “Project to Strengthen the Capacity of Local Government Officials in the Newly Incorporated Areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province,” targeting the Teshil government—a local government entity in the region (similar to Japan’s municipalities). Through this project, JICA is strengthening the capacity of local government officials and others to ensure that the newly introduced local self-government system takes root in the region. For example, JICA conducted training for approximately 800 local council members in the target areas on the role of local councils and the fundamentals of local government administration.
About 20 percent of the participants were female legislators. In addition, to ensure that residents’ voices are reflected in the public services and plans provided by the Tesil government, we provided technical guidance on the formulation of medium-term development plans—drawing on Japan’s experience—and conducted vocational training for women, as well as sports and awareness-raising activities. As a result of these efforts, resident-participatory local government management is gradually taking root, as evidenced by the fact that, for the first time, mid-term development plans reflecting residents’ opinions have been formulated by each tesil government.
Scenes from community meetings held to gather residents’ opinions (held separately for men and women)
A Look at Vocational Training for Women
Toward Meeting Residents’ Needs
At the project’s final seminar, held in Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, the project’s results were presented to approximately 130 attendees, including officials from the provincial and district governments.
State Minister Meena Khan highlighted the significance of this project in identifying community priorities and developing a comprehensive plan, and emphasized the importance of collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders, including members of Parliament, to ensure that the plan leads to the efficient and effective implementation of public works projects.
In addition, the seminar featured a statement from a female councilmember who said, “Although local governments receive many requests for support from residents, until now we lacked the knowledge to know how to prioritize and address them. The methods we learned from this project will benefit everyone in the community, including women and young people.”
Mr. Ali Ahmed Saeed, who served as chairman of the local council in Mir Ali Tesil, stated, “In the annexed areas, many people initially lacked a clear understanding of the new local administrative system and how local governments were run. Through this project, we were able to gather information on the community’s support needs and ideas, and understand how to translate them into concrete actions.”
Speech by Minister Meena Khan (Department of Local Administration, Elections, and Rural Development)
A female legislator delivering a message via video during a seminar
Laying the Foundation for Regional Stability and Peace
Creating a system in which residents and local governments discuss community issues and the local government responds to residents’ concerns about the community’s future fosters residents’ trust in the government. Building such a relationship of trust serves as the foundation for stability and peace in this region, which borders Afghanistan and faces security challenges.
Through initiatives such as the development of public facilities included in the Tesil government’s development plan, JICA will continue to support community development efforts that give tangible expression to the voices of local residents.
© Source JICA