The fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 was an historic opportunity for Afghanistan to free itself from the yoke of more than 20 years of occupation, civil war and fundamentalist oppression. Since then Afghanistan has set the course for a better future with greater freedom, stability and welfare, with considerable support from the international community, including Denmark.
In spite of making progress, however, Afghanistan is still in a post-conflict situation with the risk of regression in the political transition process. The security situation remains unstable in large areas of the country, and the presence of international forces that further stability as well as extensive economic assistance will be necessary for a great number of years to come. The new democracy must take firm root and the illegal, armed groups must be disarmed. In addition, Afghanistan is facing great social and economic challenges to lifting the Afghan people out of poverty.
The Danish Government has allocated DKK 670 million for civilian reconstruction and humanitarian activities on the appropriation acts for 2005-2009. Development assistance is given to Afghanistan with the aim of supporting the building up of a society that is democratic and stable, creating improvements in the living conditions of the poor and respect for the rights of the individual, including the rights of women.
This strategy document aims to present the background for and main lines of Danish reconstruction and humanitarian assistance, and to present Danish efforts as a whole in Afghanistan in the 2005-2009 period.
The contents of the strategy are the result of discussion of its elements with Afghan partner organisations, and the government of Afghanistan has approved the main lines.
- THE POLITICAL, SECURITY POLICY, SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SITUATION
Considerable challenges remain in the efforts to build up a secure, stable and peaceful society and create the frames for the democratic development and strengthening of a well-functioning state. After the installing of the transitional government, the adoption of the constitution and the holding of the presidential election, the final milestone in the political transition process – the Bonn Process – was the parliamentary and local elections in September 2005.
More than 20 years' conflict in Afghanistan resulted in the collapse of the national state. The reformation of the Afghan state is therefore one of the primary challenges for rebuilding Afghanistan. Important elements in rebuilding the state are that the government gains control of the security situation in the country and establishes control of executive power at central and local levels, and that a society ruled by law is developed with state institutions that are transparent and not corrupt.
In accordance with the Bonn agreement, the democratisation process has focused on the adoption of a new constitution, holding elections and the formal establishment of new democratic institutions.
The first step was the adoption of the new constitution which lays down that Afghanistan is a democracy with a strong presidency, a national assembly with two chambers and an independent legal system. The constitution defines Islam as the state religion. Simultaneously the constitution guarantees respect for citizens'- both women's and men's - equal access to fundamental rights that include both civil and political rights as well as a number of economic, social and cultural rights. The constitution is unclear concerning the precise division of competence between the legislature, the executive and the judiciary, and reference is made to the coming specification of this in detailed legislation. Likewise, the balance between Islamic principles and international standards of human rights also leaves room for interpretation.
For the new institutions to be able to form the framework for democratic development in Afghanistan, however, there is also a great need to strengthen the democratic culture and involve the population in the political process. The Afghan population have as yet only limited experience of formal elections, but Afghanistan is a country with a strong tradition of participation in local decision-making processes through local, traditional institutions. Even though conservative values have dominated many of these local structures and women's influence has been limited, principles such as justice, creating consensus and anti-corruption are deeply embedded in traditional Afghan participant-oriented processes. Therefore involving the population in the political sphere and strengthening the structures of civil society at local level are important challenges.
The successful presidential election in October 2004 was a confirmation of the population's desire for democratic development. Women constituted 42% of the electors, so that the election represented a breakthrough from the point of view of gender also. The Taliban and other militant groups did not succeed in disrupting election day. The election is evaluated as representing the will of the Afghan people despite certain technical problems during the election itself. The new government is ethnically balanced and with one exception the ministers are not associated with the human rights violations of the past. The parliamentary elections and the elections to the provincial councils in September 2005 were a far greater logistical challenge than the presidential election, but in general the election proceeded without problems and, once again, without the Taliban being successful in sabotaging the process. What remains now is to see the way in which the 249-seat parliament will function in light of the fact that each candidate has been individually elected and political parties as such have yet to develop.
The government has launched a long-term reform of the public sector with the aim of creating a transparent and efficient public administration at central, provincial and district level. Surprisingly enough the public administrative structures have survived the many years of conflict and political collapse, but the structures are very fragmented and centralised and their functions overlap. There is a serious lack of qualified personnel with modern leadership and administrative competencies and not least of women, who were dismissed during the Taliban regime. The reform includes the establishment of an appointments and promotion system based on performance, the adjustment of the number of public employees, organisational reform in the most important ministries to avoid overlapping of functions and to ensure the efficient utilisation of personnel resources, and a devolution reform. Up to now there has only been limited progress in the reform process for reasons of stability. Moreover, the government wishes to improve public financial management by the development of a national multi-annual budget where the delegation of budget responsibility is made possible by the establishment of mechanisms for supervision and transparency in public financial management.
The possibility of the Afghan government to spread its executive powers to the whole of the country is being challenged by former warlords and local commanders, who have great influence on the local police force in parts of the country and who also control the earnings from the trade in drugs. In some cases the government has had to cooperate with the warlords in order to ensure stability. This may prove undermining for the development of democracy in the long term. In the complex power struggle between the local warlords and the government, however, the government has a number of important tools, including control of the national administrative system – although with low capacity. It also has the strong backing of the majority of the Afghan population, who are tired of decades of fighting and unrest, and the support of the international community.
The ethnic differences in Afghanistan have been the focal point of much of the violent rivalry that has characterised the country for decades, and ensuring balance between the ethnic groups and their participation in and influence on the democratic process will constitute an important challenge. Similarly it must be ensured that development assistance and economic development benefit all groups. In the initial phases of reconstruction the different ethnic groups have divided the institutions between them, which may be a sensible strategy in the first phase of reconstruction. It does, however, put the building up of society at risk if this division is consolidated in the longer term. Clear guidelines must be drawn up for how the ethnic balance is to be safeguarded at all levels, including government, parliament, the legal system and the public sector.
Building up a democratic, stable society should be based on respect for human rights. Afghanistan has ratified most of the international human rights conventions, including the convention against torture and the convention on the abolition of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW).
However, great obstacles need to be removed before women can enjoy respect and rights on an equal footing with men. The traditional norms of Afghan society mean that in large sections of the population there exist very restrictive informal rules for what is regarded as correct and virtuous female behaviour. Discrimination against women takes places both in the formal legal system and in judgments based on traditional conceptions of law and justice. Violence against women is a widespread phenomenon. Early and forced marriages are usual. The lack of access to education, health services and employment opportunities affects women far more severely than men. In addition, the new Afghan constitution guarantees respect for fundamental human rights. A quota system enshrined in the constitution guarantees women about one fourth of the seats in parliament and the provincial councils.
The Taliban's liquidation of government-friendly mullahs, judges, local government employees etc. is the most important infringement of the human rights of the population. The intimidation that local persons of power can practise vis-à-vis the population of a given area is a further obstacle to human rights. In accordance with the constitution, the high court can invalidate laws that it finds contrary to the Islamic faith. Therefore the existence of a reform-friendly high court is of great importance. There is a need for clarification of the relation between secular laws and Islamic sharia.
The population has very limited access to the formal legal system and courts, especially outside of Kabul. Capacity in the legal system is low due to a lack of resources and trained personnel. An extensive reform of the legal system has been initiated.
Afghanistan is still one of the poorest countries in the world. Despite high economic growth of an average of approximately 25 percent in 2002 and 2003, annual GDP per inhabitant is assumed to be only about USD 200 (USD 300 when the illegal narcotics economy is included.). Out of a population of around 24 million, approximately 70 per cent are living under the poverty level (with a calorie intake of less than 2100 calories a day). Only 23 per cent of the population have access to clean drinking water. With an average lifetime of 43, child mortality of approximately 165 per 1000 births, the world's highest rate of maternal mortality of 1600 per 100,000, adult literacy that is less than 30 per cent, Afghanistan is ranked as number 172 of 177 countries in the UN's Human Development Index. Women and children are the most severely affected by poverty and poor living conditions.
According to the UN, Afghanistan has the poorest education system in the world. Although the number of children attending school far exceeds the level under the Taliban regime, still only half of the children receive schooling. At the same time the quality of the education sector needs to be improved. The health system is also on its knees and is unable to supply the most basic services. Improvements in health and education are fundamental conditions for fulfilling the population's justified expectations concerning better conditions of life. A healthy, educated population is a precondition for increased economic growth and participation in the democratic processes and in society, not least for women.
Even though more than 4.2 million refugees and 800,000 internally displaced persons have returned, more than 3 million Afghans are still living outside the country as refugees. The majority of these are in the regions close by in Pakistan and Iran, and a large number are expected to return home in the coming years. They are typically people with no educational background, without financial resources, and with no home to return to. A very large group are expected to go to Kabul and thus contribute to the very extensive urbanisation. The pressures will likewise be increased in other geographical areas to which returnees come home. It is important to support the orderly return of refugees in order to avoid creating new social and economic problems.
The many years of conflict have had a pervasively negative effect on the economy of Afghanistan. It has led to a considerable reduction of the workforce and has weakened the qualifications of the workforce due to poor or no schooling and the flight of many well-educated people from the country. The conflict has led to destruction of physical infrastructure such as roads and irrigation systems and has had a desruptive effect on trade and transport. Many years of severe drought from the end of the 1990s until 2004 have also contributed to a worsening of the situation. The high growth rates after the fall of the Taliban regime are primarily due to growth in agricultural production, the most important sector in the economy, as well as growth in construction and the service sector as part of the reconstruction efforts in the country.
The development of the private sector is a precondition for creating economic growth and development in the country. This will require, inter alia, the development of the framework conditions in the form of policies to promote the private sector and infrastructure as well as the procurement of credit opportunities in agriculture and for entrepreneurs in other industries. Clear rules for property rights and resolution of disputes about land, dwellings and farms are necessary framework conditions for progress.
Even with extremely optimistic prerequisites for growth, the Afghan state will only be able to cover its operational budget around 2010. In the case of investments, the need for development assistance will last considerably longer. Reform of the tax system and improvement of its administration are important elements in public sector reform.
Cultivation and processing of and trade in opium constitutes about 40 percent of the total money economy of the country, and gradual reduction leading to total discontinuation of illegal cultivation is a critical factor for securing stability and security in the country. Approximately 85 per cent of world opium production originates in Afghanistan, and in 2004-05 around 10 per cent of the Afghan population was involved in opium-related activities. This distorts agriculture, corrupts, and destabilises society. Reducing opium cultivation necessitates alternative earning possibilities for farmers. In addition to this are enforcement efforts to counter opium processing and trade.
Refugees and migrants inside and outside the region contribute to income in Afghanistan today by money transfers. This income will be reduced in step with the return to the country. Returned refugees can, naturally, continue to be a source of growth provided they have the possibility of obtaining homes, land, jobs, credit, education etc. Not all refugees from the region will return, but will to an increasing extent be seen as migrant workers in the neighbouring countries. In the longer term a functioning regulation of the labour migration will be necessary and activities that could support this development should be commenced.
The difficult security situation is still an important limitation on the reconstruction process of the state. The reform of the security sector has started but big challenges remain. About 60,000 militia soldiers had been demobilised by the middle of 2005, but this must be consistently followed up by the disarming of the (illegal) armed groups. The Taliban's failure to carry out its bloody threats against the elections in 2004 and 2005 was an important milestone, but the Taliban and Al Qaida are still attempting to prevent progress under the new regime in Afghanistan. Former warlords and local commanders continue to pose a threat to the reconstruction of the country.
The reform of the Afghan military is proceeding well. About 26,000 soldiers have been trained and form part of the new army, the Afghanistan National Army, ANA. The aim is 70,000 in 2009, but the number should be continuously adjusted in the light of the expected threat and the economic burden on the national budget. The poor training and organisation of the police constitutes a considerable problem for the building up of an Afghan state. Up to now approximately 45,000 police officers have been trained with support from the international community at the newly-established police academy in Kabul and at training centres in provincial capitals. In 2005 the police force numbers about 53,000 in all. The target is a trained police force of 62,000 in 2006. International consultancy would seem to be necessary for some years yet.
The continued UN-sanctioned presence of international stabilising forces, ISAF, in which Denmark participates under UN auspices, as well as coalition forces mainly from the USA (Operation Enduring Freedom), will be necessary for some years to come until the Afghan military and police have the independent capacity to keep the threat of terrorism at bay, deter regional warlords and secure the borders of the country. At the same time the international forces are an important symbol of the western countries' support behind a democratic development process in the country.
The establishment of Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT) is an important step in the international security presence. These are mainly stability-promoting forces which are to support the endeavour of the Afghan military and police force to create the stability that is a necessary precondition for the success of the central and local authorities' development plans, and for the implementation of the international assistance for reconstruction and development. Civil advisers are associated with the PRTs to support the capacity building and development coordination of the provincial authorities with advice and minor projects. They can also initiate small-scale civilian activities that can improve conditions for Afghans. With Danish participation in the PRTs since 2004, excellent experience has been gained in getting civilian and military actors to work together in a relationship of trust. The cooperation is based on the Danish government's civil-military cooperation.
Since 2002 the government of Afghanistan has taken considerable ownership of the reconstruction process with the full backing of the international community. In April 2002 the government presented its ”National Development Framework” (NDF). The NDF states the main national priorities for the reconstruction and defines the guidelines for its implementation through a number of national programmes with nation-wide scope. Autumn 2002 saw the preparation of the first national budget exercise under the leadership of the Ministry of Finance. This resulted in a ”National Development Budget for Afghanistan” (NDB). Although the budget process was less than perfect due to limited administrative capacity and insufficient data, some important principles were established. The budget procedure was introduced as the primary instrument in the cabinet's prioritisation among the many development needs, and the international donor community was requested to only support programmes and projects contained in the NDB.
In 2004 the national development plan appeared; it is entitled ”Securing Afghanistan's Future: Accomplishments and the Strategic Path Forward” (SAF). In the extensive analysis conducted by a large number of Afghan and international experts it is estimated that over the next 12 years Afghanistan will need external development assistance to the tune of USD 28 billion to safeguard the country's reconstruction and development. The analysis is based on the assumption of annual 9 per cent economic growth during the entire period. The large external financing demand of the investment programme is set in relation to the approximately USD 13 billion a year currently spent by the international community on peace-keeping and anti-terrorism activities in Afghanistan, and which the government expects can gradually be reduced in step with the anticipated increased security and stability that will follow in the wake of extensive reconstruction efforts.
In the SAF the Afghan government is aiming at per capita GNP of USD 500 in 2015 and with the following objectives: (i) to halve the number of people living under the poverty level, (ii) to ensure basic education for all, (iii) to eliminate gender inequality in the area of basic schooling, (iv) to increase the rate of adult literacy to 56 percent, (v), to halve mortality among children under the age of five, and (vi) to reduce maternal mortality from 1600 to 205 per 100,000.
The main priorities in the investment programme to achieve these targets are:
The government of Afghanistan is currently in the process of drawing up a strategy as such for poverty reduction. An interim ”National Development Strategy” is expected to be ready at the turn of the year 2005/06 and a complete poverty reduction strategy (PRSP) one year later. During the strategy period the Danish effort will be aligned with adjustments in the national priorities. The objectives for the PRSP are expected to be carried over from ”Securing Afghanistan's Future”, and it is not anticipated that the national priorities will be significantly altered. Likewise it is anticipated that the national development programmes will be continued.
Annex 1 states selected development indicators for Afghanistan in 2015 compared with the 2003 level.
Afghanistan currently receives an annual approximately USD 4 billion in external grant aid (corresponding to USD 142 per head of population). This assistance finances the major part of the investments in Afghanistan's ”National Development Budget” and about 50 per cent of the state's running expenditures.
With its USD 25 million per year, Denmark is number 15 on the list of bilateral donors. In 2004 the largest bilateral donors were the USA (USD 2.3 billion), the UK (USD 216 million), Japan (USD 200 million) and Saudi Arabia (USD 160 million). Comparable countries such as Sweden, Norway and the Netherlands contribute between 40 and 49 million USD per year. The large multilateral donors are the EU Commission (USD 294 million), the World Bank (USD 85 million), the Asian Development Bank (USD 25 million) and the UN organisations.
National ownership of the reconstruction process
Experience from the first years of reconstruction shows that Afghanistan has a high degree of national ownership of the reconstruction process at the general level, including ownership of the country's policies and strategies relating to reconstruction. However, due to the very limited capacity in the public sector it has proved more difficult to ensure ownership of the concrete planning and implementation efforts in the individual sectors and at district and local level.
Coordination of development assistance
The Afghan government has made targeted efforts to further development assistance coordination. The government has gradually succeeded in convincing a growing number of donors to channel assistance through the Afghan development budget and to the national priority programmes. A contributory factor has been that the Afghan government has placed great emphasis on establishing systems for supervision and transparency, which internationally recognised auditing and procurement firms have helped to establish and administer. The World Bank has set up a trust fund (ARTF), where 24 donors, including Denmark, together contribute to financing a considerable part of the state budget. (Cf. also section 6.2).
Consultative Groups (CG) have been established for each of the national priority areas as key mechanisms for coordinating development assistance. Each of the CGs is led by a ministry which receives support from a CG Focal Point (a UN organisation or a bilateral donor), but a lack of ownership and competence in some ministries and reluctance in others because they had to come under the leadership of other ministries has meant that coordination in practice has been rather inadequate. The coordination mechanisms are now under review.
The security situation has been an obstacle to the distribution of development assistance
The unstable security situation has meant that it has been difficult to channel development assistance out to the population in parts of the country. Therefore, the concrete results in the form of improved living conditions for the population are as yet sparse, not least in the southeasterly regions where the security situation has been most critical.
Reconstruction is a long-term process
The process of state formation in Afghanistan began at a low point of departure and the national capacity in the country is limited. Therefore the experience of the first years shows that it is vital that the international donor community is willing to make a long-term engagement in Afghanistan and to provide the necessary economic and technical assistance over a lengthy period.
Experience from the first years' reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan shows that there is a dilemma inherent in the need on the one hand to create the necessary swift results for the local population, and on the other hand to build on government structures in order to promote the long-term sustainability of the efforts. It is obvious that ministries that have accepted a large number of international advisers have been able to push forward the reform processes more quickly. But it is simultaneously the experience that many of the foreign advisers have concentrated their efforts on creating quick results in their own fields rather than transferring the capacity to their host Afghan institutions.
In the coming years there will also be a need for the international donors to help deliver fast results to the population, but at the same time the donor community should increasingly begin to concentrate on capacity transfer to national institutions. In this connection there should be clear strategies both for the training that the technical advisers are to carry out and for phasing it out.
Furthermore, it is the duty of both government and donors to ensure the coordination of the technical assistance and prevent overlapping functions between advisers. Genuine capacity building is also dependent on the stable repatriation of the many well-educated Afghans who fled to other countries.
Danish NGOs were working in Afghanistan long before the present ”post Taliban” development assistance was launched. Their experience with development assistance to the country has constituted very important input in connection with organising the current assistance.
One of the very concrete results of the Danish assistance to reconstruction since 2001 is that a reform of basic education has now been initiated, which includes formulation of new curricula, better teacher training and the development of new school textbooks. In addition, by building 8 new schools and printing 3.6 million new textbooks, Denmark has contributed to enabling many more children to attend school. By supporting the government's ”National Solidarity Programme” (NSP), Denmark has contributed to the rural population in 7000 villages gaining access to the improvement of the local infrastructure (roads, irrigation channels, improvement of sanitary facilities, establishment of alternative earning possibilities etc.). Through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) Denmark has contributed DKK 150 million to the reconstruction of the public sector, including support to paying the wages of public employees. Denmark has, moreover, supported the drawing up of the new Afghan constitution and supported the preparation and holding of the presidential election. As main donor for the establishment of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission, Denmark has contributed to improving the monitoring of the human rights situation, including the promotion of women's rights.
Danish humanitarian assistance has, inter alia through food aid, made a contribution to averting new famines and to improving living conditions for returnees and refugees living in countries in the region, internally displaced persons and especially vulnerable groups of women and children in particular. Denmark has also contributed to clearing large mined areas and to building up local capacity in mine clearance. More than 4 million people have received instruction in the dangers involved in mines.
The objective of Danish cooperation with Afghanistan is to support the building up of a society that is democratic and stable. Denmark wishes to contribute to improving the security situation and fighting terrorism and to creating improvements in the living conditions of the poor and respect for the rights of the individual, including of women.
The 2001 Bonn agreement is expected to be replaced in early 2006 by a mutually binding agreement between Afghanistan and the international community in which Afghanistan commits itself to continuing the ongoing development. In return, the international community will commit itself to continuing to supply development assistance and military assistance.
The Danish effort is to contribute to the fulfilment of the Millennium Development Goals as they are formulated in ”Securing Afghanistan's Future” and which are expected to be continued further in Afghanistan's ”National Development Strategy”.
The development in the security situation and the political situation is unpredictable over the next 5-year period, and the conditions for progress in the reconstruction process are uncertain. It will thus be necessary to adjust the Danish-supported efforts to the changed conditions and a high degree of flexibility within the overall objectives will be demanded.
The Afghan government has requested that each of the donor countries should focus its support on a few sectors and otherwise channel as much as possible through the national financing channels, either as general budget support, sector budget support or support to national programmes. As a response to this request and in order to continue to strengthen long-term sustainable development, Danish development assistance will emphasise strengthening national ownership, furthering development assistance coordination, and reducing the administrative burden for the Afghan government. Denmark has therefore chosen to continue channelling the major part of development assistance through the national priority programmes and as budget support. To supplement this, bilateral activities will be continued in education and the human rights and humanitarian area. These efforts will be sought coordinated and, if possible, co-financed within the frames of programmes supported by international organisations and other bilateral donors.
The promotion of democratisation and respect for human rights will also be dealt with systematically, partly through special efforts and partly as a crosscutting issue. In addition, as a crosscutting consideration in Danish-supported issues, there will be focus on furthering due process and respect for individual rights. Finally, Denmark will attempt to promote the development of targets and indicators in order to evaluate progress in the human rights area in general.
Furthering good governance and reconstruction of the public sector will be given high priority and will be dealt with systematically in Danish cooperation through support to policy dialogue, direct efforts, and as a crosscutting consideration in all other efforts. Moreover, as a crosscutting consideration in all Danish-supported activities there will be focus on promoting accountability, transparency and combating corruption in the institutions, both state and non-state, with which Denmark cooperates.
Denmark will place strong emphasis on supporting capacity building in national institutions and other organisations as a necessary precondition for making the effort sustainable. Denmark is planning to offer technical assistance within the education sector in the form of long-term consultancy for the Ministry of Education and in the area of human rights and democracy. Denmark will as far as possible make use of Afghan advisers or advisers from the region.
Denmark will stress contributing to improving the living conditions of the impoverished Afghan population and furthering private sector development in rural areas. The incorporation of the work with reintegration of returned refugees and asylum seekers will continue to be a very great challenge both locally and for the central authorities. Denmark will conduct region of origin efforts aimed at returned refugees, the displaced and asylum seekers, so that these activities complement the rest of the development assistance work to the greatest possible extent.
As mentioned above, with respect to the geographical coverage Denmark will channel a large proportion of Danish assistance through national trust funds and programmes covering the whole of the country. The selection of the provinces for the bilateral effort will depend on a number of factors including the security situation, local development needs and consideration for coordination with other actors. In accordance with the government's initiative concerning ”Interaction between civilian and military efforts in international operations” from March 2004, Denmark will utilise part of the assistance in provinces where there is a Danish military presence. Civilian advisers have been employed in connection with Danish PRT units in order to strengthen coordination between the civilian and military efforts.
On the basis of the above-mentioned objectives and selected strategies Denmark will continue to prioritise the following focus areas: human rights and democratisation (section 6.1 below), reconstruction of the public sector (6.2), education (6.3), improvement of living conditions for the rural population (6.4), region of origin efforts for refugees and the internally displaced (6.5 and 6.6), and humanitarian efforts (6.7). The indicative frame for development cooperation is DKK 670 million in the 2005-2009 period.
The table below outlines an indicative distribution of financial support between focus areas during the strategy period:
| Focus area | Percentage distribution of support |
| Human rights and democratisation | 15 % |
| Public sector reconstruction | 15 % |
| Education | 20 % |
| Improved living conditions for rural population | 15 % |
| Region of origin effort (refugees and the internally displaced) | 15 % |
| Humanitarian assistance (2005-2007 alone) | 10 % |
| Minor grants scheme | 10 % |
| Total | 100 % |
In addition to the DKK 670 million, financing is provided for the Danish contribution to the international stabilisation force (6.8), as well as assistance to the work of Danish NGOs (6.9), possible ad hoc contributions from Danish thematic pools for development assistance, and contributions from Danish trust funds in international organisations.
Denmark will continue to support the as yet delicate democratic process in the country. This will take place through the preparation and holding of elections and for building up the Afghan parliament with special focus on democratic control mechanisms. There will also be emphasis on furthering the participation and co-determination of the poor population and especially women by means of capacity building at local level via specific initiatives in selected provinces.
Afghanistan has ratified the most important human rights conventions and established the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. The commission is based in Kabul and since its establishment in 2002 it has opened 7 regional and 3 provincial offices. Danish support to the human rights commission will be continued with special emphasis on women's rights and efforts in one or more of the commission's regional offices and, where it is thought feasible, cooperation with and support to other local human rights units in the administration and among the NGOs. Denmark will also support the capacity building of civil society groups in the area of human rights and by this strengthen cooperation and coordination between civil society and the AIHRC. Special emphasis will be given to strengthening initiatives that further women's rights and their opportunities in society.
Human rights' principles and their practical implementation will also be furthered as a crosscutting consideration in all Danish-supported activities. Because the local structures are still very weak or non-existent, it is anticipated that cooperation with UN organisations, the peacekeeping forces and other international actors will be necessary and appropriate in the coming years also.
In addition Denmark will examine the possibilities for granting support in selected provinces for improved access to due process for weak groups in particular, including women and returned refugees, and with special focus on land rights.Together with the rest of the donor community and the Afghan government, Denmark will work to produce a general plan for the necessary reforms that secure human rights, women's rights and the legal status of citizens.
Up to now Danish support has been conducted by means of contributions to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), which is administered by the World Bank. ARTF has 24 donors and is an example of exemplary donor coordination and harmonisation. The fund covers about half of the state's running expenditures (payroll for more than 200,000 public employees) and certain development activities under the Afghan national budget. ARTF has been decisive for the re-establishment of the Afghan state and provincial administration, which is strategically important as a contrast to the warlords' local power bases. ARTF has built up a system for screening and monitoring that strengthens the state systems of financial control and ensures the sensible utilisation of funds, according to an extremely positive, independent evaluation of the fund from spring 2005.
The evaluation result is a weighty argument for the continuation of considerable Danish contributions to the ARTF and using the ARTF as a channel for earmarked contributions in other areas - see below on support for improving the living conditions of the rural population (National Solidarity Programme and MISFA).
In the coming years Denmark will promote a recommendation from the evaluation report on creating a permanent forum for policy dialogue in connection with ARTF. In this forum Denmark will work for setting up targets and indicators for (1) reforms in the public sector, (2) systematic capacity building, which up to now has been neglected in the efforts to simply keep the state apparatus functioning, (3) increasing state revenues, expenditure management and budget planning, (4) supervision, auditing and fighting corruption, and (5) appropriate methods of reporting that provide the parliament and citizens with insight into the utilisation and outcomes of public funds.
The Afghan government regards improved education as a condition for building a modern, democratic state, for growth and for poverty reduction. The number of schoolchildren rose from under 1 million in 2001 to over 4.3 million in 2003, of which 3.9 million children in primary education (1st to 6th grade). Despite the increase, only about half of the relevant birth cohorts are as yet attending school. Important challenges are to increase the share attending school, both in general and especially for girls, to renovate and build new schools, to raise quality and access to teaching materials, to strengthen the teachers' academic qualifications and to strengthen the ability of the Ministry of Education to lead and administer the sector. The Afghan government is aiming at fulfilling the MDG objective of all children obtaining access to 9 years of education.
Denmark launched sector support to basic school education in Afghanistan in 2003, and the activities under the first phase of the programme are expected to be concluded in 2006-07. These activities include drawing up school textbooks, preparing the books for printing, drawing up curricula, renovating and building schools, and support to planning and financial management in the Ministry of Education. Annual reviews are conducted where the programme is adjusted. Minor adjustments are carried out in a steering committee. The extremely poor organisational and professional level of the Ministry of Education has delayed the implementation of the programme. An adviser is providing assistance in financial management and coordination of donor contributions to the Ministry of Education.
Denmark will also assist the Ministry of Education with a civil service reform. The aim is, within the framework of the already initiated reform process in the public sector in Afghanistan, to strengthen financial management, internal auditing, personnel administration, payroll administration, organisational development, development of senior management and supplementary training of personnel.
The planning of continued support to the education sector from 2007 to 2009 will be carried out in 2006.
The Danish effort will consist in continued support to the National Solidarity Programme (NSP) and the initiation of assistance to micro credits through the ”Microfinance Investment Support Facility” (MISFA) to further the development of the private sector in the rural districts - primarily agriculture.
Denmark will continue to support the government's National Solidarity Programme (NSP). The programme is built up around block grants directly to villages which, following democratic election of village development councils, are themselves responsible for prioritising and implementing desired projects with technical assistance from NGOs. The objective is primarily to strengthen democratic structures, further the inclusion of women, and secure peace dividends in local communities. The first phase of the programme has reached out to 7000 villages - one quarter of the country - where the funds have often been used to re-establish infrastructure such as irrigation channels, roads, micro hydropower plants, and the establishment of alternative income-generating activities such as carpet weaving. The NSP programme forms part of the national anti-drugs strategy as a significant measure for establishing alternative sources of income.
The most important mechanism for micro-credits is the Microfinance Investment Support Facility Afghanistan (MISFA) under the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). In the pilot phase 2003 to March 2005, the donors have granted around DKK 145 million to the MISFA, which is now active in more than 75 districts. The MISFA works through partner organisations, which in March 2005 had a total of 75,000 active clients of whom more than 90% were women. The pilot phase has documented a great demand for small loans among women, which is quite unique both globally and in a southern Asian perspective. Experience has shown that the loans are used to establish income-generating activities, such as agriculture and handicraft production. In addition to direct support to the programme, Denmark will contribute to quality development of the MISFA through monitoring the development impact of the loans.
The Danish region of origin effort in Afghanistan is strengthening the efforts concerning reintegration of returned refugees, asylum seekers and internally displaced persons who can add capacity and resources in local areas. If this is handled wrongly, it could just as well become a source of social and economic unrest.
The strategic target for the region of origin effort is to ensure that refugees and the internally displaced in particular but also others who return to their home country have an opportunity to get going with their existence in Afghanistan, without this effort being distinguished from the support received by the local population who were not displaced.
The effort focuses on the activities that strengthen successful reintegration: start-up support, access to housing, the presence of basic infrastructure, fundamental social services, due process, and opportunities for employment and relevant education and training programmes. A special part of the effort focuses on a group of educated Afghan refugees mainly living in the neighbouring countries and who are ready to move back if the necessary frames for doing so exist.
A flexible approach is needed to implement the activities. The national authorities are very weak and the intention is to strengthen these, including the authorities responsible for identifying and receiving the returned Afghans. This will take place through cooperation with international partners, whose task will be to build up capacity among the Afghan authorities, e.g. through general refugee administration or registration and collection of information to be used, inter alia, in the work with the return to Afghanistan of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers. In the long term this cooperation with the Afghan authorities can to a rising extent focus on the relation between asylum and migration.
Efforts will, moreover, be initiated in the areas receiving large groups of returnees. These efforts will be implemented through international partners, among others UNHCR, IOM and the Norwegian Refugee Council.
Given the delicate political and economic situation in Afghanistan it cannot be excluded that the migration flows in and around the country change during the present programme period. Flexibility has been built into the organisation of the programme, as it may eventually be necessary to adjust the projects.
Denmark has entered a tripartite agreement with Afghanistan and UNHCR on the repatriation of Afghan citizens residing in Denmark. Parts of Danish development cooperation are aimed at strengthening Afghan authorities, including the national authorities who take care of the verification of the rejected asylum seekers' nationality, and therefore constitute an important part of the dialogue with Afghanistan concerning the consistent implementation of the tripartite agreement.
Denmark grants assistance to organisations that support returnees, including returnees from Denmark (cf. above) and has also posted an attaché for foreigners to the diplomatic mission in Kabul with a view to facilitating dialogue with the Afghan authorities about repatriation.
Up to now Danish humanitarian assistance has been concentrated on immediate support to vulnerable groups and has included, among other things, food aid, support to returned refugees, internally displaced persons and especially vulnerable groups of women and children in particular, as well as mine-related activities. Since 2002 millions of Afghan refugees and internally displaced persons have returned to their homes. Large mine-infested areas have been cleared. More than 4 million people have been trained in the dangers involved in mines.
The future and more limited humanitarian effort will be concentrated on mine-related activities and will to the greatest possible extent complement the more long-term region-of-origin effort. The aim of the effort is to continue the build up of national and local competences so that the Danish effort can be phased out at the end of 2007. The effort is being implemented through the Danish Demining Group (DDG) and the UN's mine clearance office in Afghanistan (UNMACA).
UNMACA has responsibility for the general coordination of the effort to clear mines and ammunition and for quality control at completion. The aim of the Danish support is to strengthen the work of UNMACA in capacity building of national authorities to enable them to take over these functions in the longer term. DDG is, inter alia, in close dialogue with the Danish forces concerning any activities in connection with the Danish engagement in Afghanistan's provinces. The selection of provinces receiving humanitarian assistance depends primarily on local humanitarian needs. If there are security advantages to be gained, a geographical congruence between the presence of the Danish PRTs and support to local activities in the same area will be utilised in accordance with the government's initiative concerning interaction between civilian and military efforts.
There will be decisive emphasis on humanitarian assistance being conducted in coordination with the Afghan authorities and the UN. A link to the more long-term work of reconstruction will be aimed at, where possible.
Without a fundamental security and stabilisation effort from abroad, the first three years' positive changes after the fall of the Taliban would not have been possible. With threats from terrorism, local warlords and armed groups of criminals, a continued military presence with the UN-sanctioned mandate is a condition for continued progress until the Afghan authorities can shoulder the task.
Denmark will continue to contribute to the international stabilisation and security effort in Afghanistan. In addition, within the frames of the defence forces' international security cooperation, support and assistance are granted to building up the national Afghan army. In addition, the possibilities for supporting the disarmament of irregular militias with funds from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' conflict prevention account are being examined.
To make possible the positive processes of change in the whole country, Provincial Reconstruction Teams, PRTs, have been established. The task for the PRTs is to strengthen the influence of the Afghan government in the provinces through working together with regional and local political, military and religious leaders and cooperation and coordination with international organisations. Through observation and reporting, the PRTs are to assist the authorities in preventing development efforts being sabotaged by armed groups. Denmark will contribute to selected PRTs - for the moment in Samangan and Badakshan - until such time as the Afghan security forces can take over the task.
Provinces with Danish PRT contributions have, like the rest of the country, a great need for stabilisation and development. In connection with Danish military contributions to the PRTs, civil advisers will be posted. They will assist the local authorities with capacity building, coordination and implementation of local and national development programmes. They will strengthen the connection between the provinces and relevant national authorities, initiate minor projects, and further dialogue with Danish NGOs and other aid organisations concerning possible efforts in the Danish PRT provinces. The civilian efforts are financed over the appropriation note for reconstruction and humanitarian efforts.
Danish NGOs in Afghanistan are respected for the high quality of their work and for the long-term efforts, which in the case of many organisations started more than 20 years ago. During the coming period Denmark will continue to support the work of Danish NGOs in Afghanistan. Since 2002-2004 the Danish NGO assistance in Afghanistan financed over the NGO frame has amounted to an annual approximately DKK 25 million. In accordance with the principles of the civil society strategy, the efforts are based on the organisations' own strategic objectives. The main elements in NGO assistance up to now have focused on water supply, agricultural development and health. Thereby, the NGO efforts and the rest of development assistance are in extension of and complement each other.
The practice is close dialogue between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the NGOs concerning the situation in Afghanistan, which also in the future will ensure the utilisation of possible synergy between the overall reconstruction effort and NGO activities. In the coming programme period the NGOs should continuously adjust their range of activities to the changing circumstances in the country, including the taking over by the state and private firms of certain of the tasks previously performed by the NGOs.
Together with other donors, Denmark will support the monitoring by the Afghan government of the implementation of development priorities and indicators at national, sector and programme level, with a starting point in key planning documents and the anticipated poverty reduction strategy and the ”National Development Strategy”, to be drawn up in 2005-06. Denmark will assist the work of developing indicators for selected sectors, including reforms of the public sector, human rights and education. All Danish-supported development programmes are covered by requirements concerning monitoring and evaluation in accordance with Danida's guidelines and the target and performance management of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the course of the strategy period an evaluation of the country programme is expected to be implemented with a view to an assessment of the results achieved and an indication of possible guidelines in the future.
An international evaluation of development assistance to Afghanistan in the period 2001-2004 was concluded in August 2005. The evaluation covers development assistance from Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands, Ireland and the UK. The evaluation concludes that Denmark has fully lived up to its pledges concerning development assistance, delivered it on time and was, in addition, flexible and innovative in its response to requests from the Afghan government, international organisations and NGOs. In addition, Danish development assistance is relevant and its quality is high.
Allowance has been made for the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluation in the present strategy, and they will form part of the planning of the future Danish efforts.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will report every year to the Danish Board for International Development Cooperation on the progress of the Afghanistan programme.
Afghanistan has chosen to modify the global timetable and benchmarks to fit local realities. As Afghanistan has lost two decades to war it will not be possible to use the global standards. Afghanistan has defined its MDG contribution as targets for 2020 instead of 2015 and from a baseline of 2003 instead of 1990.
Further, a 9th goal has been added. Despite extreme poverty, ill health, and hunger, Afghans define the lack of security as their greatest problem. Hence the government of Afghanistan has added a new goal of “Enhancing Security” to the eight already existing global MDGs.
| Goals | Current level | Targets |
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger |
Poverty: To be determined. |
The proportion of people whose income is less than US $1 a day decreases by 3% per annum until the year 2020. |
| About 6 million rural Afghans face chronic or transient food shortages (2003 estimate). |
The proportion of people who suffer from hunger decreases by 5% per annum until the year 2020. | |
| 2. Achieve universal primary education |
Primary net enrolment rate (2003): 54% |
Ensure that, by 2020, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling. |
| 3. Promote gender equality and empower women |
Female primary net enrolment (2003): 40% |
Eliminate gender disparity in all levels of education no later than 2020. |
| Paid work in non-agricultural sector (2002): 17% |
Reduce gender disparity in economic areas by 2020. | |
| Women in Parliament (2005): Minimum 25% |
Increase female participation in elected and appointed bodies at all levels of governance to 30% by 2020. | |
| Acess to justice: no information |
Reduce gender disparity in access to justice by 50% by 2015 and completely by 2020. | |
| 4. Reduce child mortality |
Under 5 mortality rate (2003): 23% |
Reduce by 50%, between 2003 and 2015, the under 5 mortality rate. |
| 5. Improve maternal health |
Maternal mortality rate (2002 estimate):1,600 deaths per 100,000 live births |
Reduce by 50%, between 2002 and 2015, the maternal mortality rate. |
| 6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases |
Adults living with HIV (2002): <0.01% |
Have halted by 2020 and begun to reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS. |
| Annual malaria incidence (2004): 2-3 million |
Have halted by 2020 and begun to reverse the incidence of malaria and other major diseases. | |
| 7. Ensure environmental sustainability |
Integrate the principles of sustainable development into policies and programs and reverse the loss of the environment resources. | |
| Proportion of population without sustainable access to an improved water source (2003): 77% |
Halve, by 2020, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and sanitation. By 2020, to have achieved a significant improvement in the lives of all slum dwellers. | |
| 8. Develop a global partnership for development |
Deal comprehensively and influence the provision of foreign aid through appropriate measures to enable Afghanistan develop sustainably in long-term. Develop and implement strategies for decent and productive work for youth. | |
| Proportion of population with access to affordable essential drugs (1999): 50-80% |
In cooperation with the pharmaceutical companies, provide access to affordable essential drugs in developing countries. | |
| Telephone lines/cellular subscribers per 1,000 population (2003): 1.6/37.5 |
In cooperation with the private sector, make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communication. | |
| 9. Enhance security |
Reform and professionalise the Afghan National Army by 2010. Reduce the misuse of weapons and the proportion of illegally-held weapons by 2010. Reform, restructure and professionalise the Afghan National Police by 2010. All emplaced antipersonnel mines destroyed by 2013. All other explosive contaminants destroyed by 2015. All stockpiled antipersonnel mines destroyed by 2007. All other abandoned or unwanted explosive stocks destroyed by 2020. | |
| Afghans dependent on opium for their livelihoods (2004): 2.3 million |
Reduce the contribution of opium to the total economy to less than 5% by 2015, and to less than 1% by 2020. |
From “Afghanistan’s Millenium Development Goals Report 2005” and ”Securing Afghanistan's Future”, 2004.
| Danish development cooperation | 2002-04 (mio. kr) |
% |
| Human rights and democracy | 55 | 9 |
| Public sector | 138 | 23 |
| Education | 65 | 11 |
| Rural development | 56 | 10 |
| Local allocation competence | 5 | 1 |
| Administration | 20 | 3 |
| Reconstruction, total | 339 | 58 |
| Emergency relief, mine clearing a.o. | 250 | 42 |
| Humanitarian assistance, total | 250 | 42 |
| Total Danish development assistance 2002-04 | 589 | 100 |