Abstract

This report is about how to progressively reduce over time Afghanistan’s dependence on opium - currently the country’s leading economic activity - by development initiatives and shifting economic incentives toward sustainable legal livelihoods. These aspects will form an essential component of the broader counter-narcotics strategy, which also includes law enforcement, political and administrative actions, improving security, better governance, awareness-building, and demand reduction and treatment for Afghan problem drug users. The report does not cover these other topics, although as emphasized in the Government of Afghanistan’s National Drugs Control Strategy (NDCS), it is only through a holistic strategy which encompasses all key elements that the country will escape from its dependence on opium. In particular, without strong economic and development underpinnings, other counter-narcotics efforts cannot achieve sustained success.