Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society

The Afghanistan Institute for Civil Society (AICS) is a concept that has been incubating for several years amongst Afghanistan's civil society community. In 2007, the Enabling Environment conference convened by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and the Aga Khan Development Network, in partnership with the World Bank, the United Nations Development Program and the Asia Development Bank. One of the key recommendations from the conference was to establish independent certification bodies for civil society organizations that are recognized by Government, the private sector, donor agencies and civil society. In 2010, a working group comprising civil society network donors and INGOs was established. The working group developed AICS vision, mission and strategic objectives. In 2014, AICS was established by the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) through a partnership between AKF and Counterpart International under USAID funded Afghanistan Civic Engagement Program (ACEP) with the long-term goal of enabling CSOs to realize their potential in support of the development of Afghanistan. Behind this initiative are key CSO networks, civil society professionals, and representatives from national and international CSOs with an interest in Afghanistan AICS Objectives Raise credibility of the civil society sector by certifying local organizations against locally defined and internationally recognized standards Systematize capacity building efforts by coordinating initiatives against measurable performance indicators. Strengthen the role of civil society in Afghanistan's development through collective efforts of policy dialogue and active engagement with government, donors and the broader sector. Provide a channel for resources for civil society by strengthening philanthropic and corporate social responsibility efforts. AICS Mandate To support a credible and competent civil society sector in Afghanistan by linking CSOs, donors, government and capacity building services