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Afghanistan continues to struggle from the impact of conflict. The enthusiasm triggered by the fall of the Taliban in 2001 started to turn to disillusionment as, from 2005 onwards, the state struggled to maintain security and control over its territory and failed to deliver on the aspirations of citizens for a prosperous and peaceful Afghanistan. Despite this, substantial improvements have been achieved in terms of access to basic health services, education and agriculture.
The EU has always considered assistance to Afghanistan and the region as a priority. Many Member States have participated, since January 2006, in the NATO International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and all are present in the country either through their embassies or through the EU Delegation.
The European Union and its Member States are committed to combating the threat from international terrorism and increasing the security of European citizens while significantly ensuring that Afghans are able to have a normal life. In this respect for the EU the overall mission is to support the development of an effective Afghan State capable of fulfilling the political, social and economic rights of its people and to encourage the peaceful expression of conflicting views without resorting to violence. It is also of the utmost importance for the European Union to help build the foundations of a sustainable network of public institutions that can guarantee the gains witnessed during the last eleven years, particularly in the area of women rights, and help shape sustainable economic development for the country.
The EU and Member States have been major donors in supporting the development of a stable and prosperous Afghanistan and currently spend more than €1 billion a year in development aid in the country. Their commitment is for the long term reflected in the fact that they have agreed to maintain their support for Afghanistan at current levels for the years to come. In a country where an estimated 36 percent of Afghans still live below the poverty line, and the population continues to experience high rates of malnutrition and food insecurity, the EU is also providing much needed humanitarian aid and contributing to the elimination of poverty.
The Lisbon Treaty, ratified by the 27 EU Member States in 2009, was a major achievement. This treaty includes key changes aimed at increasing the consistency and coherence of the EU's external actions. It provided the EU with its own Diplomatic Service – The EU External Action Service (EEAS), currently led by High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy, Baroness Catherine Ashton. The Lisbon Treaty has considerably changed the EU footprint in Afghanistan as it has done all around the world. It has strengthened the role of the EU in international relations and provided it with a single voice. For example, instead of two different representatives, the Head of the European Union delegation (HoD) and the EU Special Representative (EUSR) is now one and the same person. I therefore represent, negotiate and coordinate on behalf of the EU and works closely with the United Nations Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the NATO Senior Civilian Representative as well as with the Afghan authorities and the International Community representatives in Kabul. Close coordination with all Member States also allows the EU in Afghanistan to be particularly coherent and efficient. I also work closely with my colleagues from Russia, India, China, Turkey, Australia and Japan and others who are involved in support and reconstruction of Afghanistan.
The European Union is committed for the long haul. In November 2011, the EU and Member States' Foreign Ministers agreed that they would seek to continue their support for Afghanistan at least at current levels well into the «decade of transformation», from 2014 to 2024.
That commitment will be embodied in the Cooperation Agreement on Partnership and Development (CAPD) between Afghanistan and the EU, which will soon be finalised. The agreement will provide the framework for our political and economic cooperation over the next decade, including in the areas of development, trade, governance, justice and human rights and women's rights. The strategic objectives pursued by the EU in its partnership with Afghanistan are to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with a view to supporting peace and security in Afghanistan and the region. This is of the upmost importance for Afghanistan, its neighbours and for the rest of the world. Among other priorities, the EU promotes sustainable development, a stable and democratic political environment and the integration of Afghanistan into the world economy. A particular emphasis is also made on establishing a regular dialogue on political issues, including the promotion of human rights and gender equality and the involvement of civil society.
The EU will pursue these strategic objectives through a variety of instruments, including the Development Cooperation Instrument and the Instrument for Stability. However, in a highly aid-dependent environment, characterised by sometimes uncoordinated interventions, often outside of government structures, aid delivery poses significant challenges. As donor funding levels decline, sustainable private sector investment will need to increase to improve stability through jobs and increased revenue. In order to maximise the impact of aid in this highly complex environment, the government has put forward an Aid Management Policy. The main objectives of this policy are to improve the effectiveness of development cooperation through greater government ownership and leadership and to strengthen economic management by increasing flows of development assistance through the budget. So-called 'Afghanization' will be key to an increased sovereignty and responsibility over the country's stakes.
Following the July 2010 Kabul Conference, the government of Afghanistan decided to enhance the coherence of its policy action and create instruments to further facilitate the International Community's alignment with its priorities. As a result, ministries with responsibilities in homogeneous policy areas were clustered and cluster leaders were asked to develop 22 National Priority Programmes (NPPs).
NPPs will serve as instruments for the implementation of the sector development strategies in areas such as governance, basic service delivery, agriculture and rural development and infrastructure. In the run up to the Tokyo conference intense consultations with donors have paved the way for the endorsement of 16 NPPs to date, which should now enter the implementation phase. Two NPPs, of core importance for the EU development assistance portfolio, still require significant work and are expected to be finalised in the course of 2013.
In line with the principles of aid effectiveness, the government asked donors to progressively align funding with national programmes, and use government systems as much as possible, shifting from project to programme mode. The aim is to improve coordination and better target development assistance. The EU is already largely aligned behind national priorities and national programmes and is striving for further alignment, using government systems as much as possible.
The political construct that dominated the Tokyo conference was the Mutual Accountability Framework (TMAF). The TMAF sets out a series of areas in which the government is committed to reform, namely (i) Representational Democracy and Equitable Elections; (ii) Governance, Rule of Law and Human Rights; (iii) Integrity of Public Finance and Commercial Banking; (iv) Government Revenues, Budget Execution and Sub-National Governance; (v) Inclusive and Sustained Growth and Development.