In early June 2008, Coordination of Afghan Relief (CoAR), Organization for Sustainable Development and Research (OSDR), and Skills Training and Rehabilitation Society (STARS) took the initiative of establishing a working network. The move came to make the relationship between these organizations more systematic and formal after cooperating with each other in different areas proved to be more productive. Furthermore, the initiative is directly in line with the Afghanistan NGOs Law, Article 9 of which states that nongovernmental organizations can enter into partnerships and networks to improve, expand, or implement their activities and projects .Also, the current trends and the need for reconstruction of Afghanistan lend sufficient justification for the establishment of such a network.
In 2010, two NGO’s namely ECW and HF and in 2013 AREA and APWO succeeded to join CEN. In addition Gorbat Radio & TV and Sharq Institute of Higher Education also has joined the CEN (Civil society Empowerment Network), in 2014 two NGOs namely AUTEO and CAHPO joined CEN (Civil society Empowerment Network).