The objective of the Second Sustainable Development of Natural Resources Project (SDNRP II) is to assist the Ministry of Mines (MoM) and the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) in further improving their capacities to effectively regulate Afghanistan's mineral resource development in a transparent and efficient manner, and foster private sector development. The project will continue the technical assistance that began under the SDNRP to support the Government's efforts to create a sound policy and institutional framework for the extractive industries (EI) sector. SDNRP II will aim, in particular, to enable the Ministry of Mines to: (a) transparently and effectively manage the process of rapid and large-scale foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector; and (b) manage the impacts and improve the sustainability of the numerous smaller mining and quarry operations in the country, many of which are unlicensed.