“We, the undersigned, have worked with the Afghan community for up to 20 years and have witnessed the prolonged political and social upheaval Afghans have experienced over this period. As we come to the end of the Bonn process, we now need a clear and coherent strategy and vision for the continuation of the international community’s engagement with and support for Afghanistan. These elections should not be seen as a final benchmark or an end point for Afghanistan, but rather a crucial milestone in the country’s path to peace and development.
“It is essential to resolve the security situation, but as Afghans go to the polls, it is important that we recognise that they are also concerned about other issues affecting their lives. It is imperative to remember that one-third of children still do not go to school, life expectancy in Afghanistan is little more than 40 years, and Afghanistan still has some of the highest rates of maternal mortality in the world. Afghanistan has a long way to go until it is even close to meeting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
“Over the past three years the international community has worked hard to assist Afghans in laying the foundations to start addressing some of these problems. Afghans had high expectations after the defeat of the Taliban but many have yet to see substantial improvements in their lives. Unless we dramatically step up efforts to strengthen the Afghan voice and engage ordinary Afghans in decision-making, there is the grave risk the Afghan people will become dangerously disillusioned with the international effort. The possibility of discontent should be taken very seriously as it could lead to greater violence and political instability.”
Furthermore, the letter also made the following recommendations:
- The UK government has committed substantial resources to rebuilding the government of Afghanistan. However, a democratic and peaceful Afghanistan will only be possible if a strong civil society exists to hold the government to account and to support continued improvements in governance. We understand that DFID is planning to develop a Country Assistance Paper for Afghanistan after the Presidential elections. We ask that DFID demonstrate its commitment to supporting the democratic development of Afghanistan by outlining a policy on civil society in the assistance paper and creating a specific civil society strengthening programme.
- The UK government must demonstrate how the resources it has allocated to Afghanistan are making a substantial impact on addressing the needs of the Afghan people through helping the country progress towards the MDGs. The government must demonstrate that the money it channels through the government and its priority programmes actually makes a difference to the lives of Afghan men and women and engages them fully in their country’s development.
- The UK government also has a responsibility to ensure that the international approach to security in Afghanistan is conducive to long-term development. It must ensure that the international community fulfils its obligations both to bringing security and to building the capacity of Afghans to rebuild their country. As a key ally of the US, and a significant player in the G8, NATO and the EU, the UK government must use the extent of its influence to retain their full commitment after the elections. This means addressing the causes of insecurity – warlordism, narco-mafia activity, the absence of the rule of law, and the current lack of a credible national police force and army.
