The Government of the Islamic Republic of Af­ghanistan has increased its presence and capacities in recent years. At subnational level, despite basic governance structure being in place, overall formal governance remains very centralized and representative bodies are structurally weak. As a consequence, regional needs are not taken fully into account and limited services extend beyond Kabul.

Support to governance reforms and state institutions, especially at the sub-national level, helps the Afghan population to have better access to accountable, transparent and inclusive subnational services. Afghans also benefit from increased participation in the planning and decision-making process and gain improved moni­toring and oversight capacities on government performance.  

Finally, linkages between subnational institutions (municipalities, districts, prov­inces) and the national level are promoted in the frame of existing and emerging state policies.