DUSHANBE, January 28, 2010, Asia-Plus — The International Conference on Afghanistan is taking place in London today. The international community are coming together to fully align military and civilian resources behind an Afghan-led political strategy, which will engage the Afghan people in defense of their country to divide the insurgency and build regional cooperation.
The conference will be co-hosted by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, Afghan President Karzai and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. It will be co-chaired by the UK Foreign Minister David Miliband, his outgoing Afghan counterpart Rangin Spanta, and UN Special Representative to Afghanistan, Kai Eide.
Foreign ministers from International Security Assistance Force partners, Afghanistan’s immediate neighbors and key regional player, representatives from NATO, the United Nations, the EU and other international organizations such as the World Bank have been invited to attend the conference
Tajikistan being an immediate neighbor of Afghanistan and Tajik Foreign Minister Hamrokhon Zarifi is also attending the conference.
In the meantime, an article by the UK Foreign Minister David Miliband, entitled “Afghanistan Needs Clear Political Strategy, released by the UK Embassy in Dushanbe, in particular, says that 2009 was the bloodiest year of the conflict in Afghanistan. The UK lost over 100 soldiers and Afghan National Security Forces also suffered heavily and the number of civilians killed by the insurgents increased.
Last year saw the election of a new Afghan government, a reinvigoration of the military strategy and an additional commitment to increase international troops by 60,000. And the size of the Afghan National Army grew by 20,000.
These developments are significant. But counter insurgency is never won by military means alone. Politics is critical: the Afghan Government and its allies must marshal all their resources behind a clear political strategy to win over the support of ordinary Afghans, divide the enemy, and encourage Afghanistan’s neighbors to become part of the solution.
The London Conference will focus on the three critical elements of such a political strategy: security, governance and development, and regional relations.
Since 2007, the international community has invested heavily in training and mentoring the Afghan National Army and Police. Together these arms of the security forces now number almost 200,000. By October 2010, the ANA will be 134,000 strong, and the ANP 109,000, but more are required. Delegates at Thursday’s Conference will look to the Afghan Government to recruit additional military and police. More international support is also needed – NATO’s training mission currently has a shortfall of 1,600 trainers.
The Conference will also consider how the roles of the international and Afghan forces should evolve. As the Afghan National Security Forces develop, they will need to assume – district by district, province by province, as the necessary conditions are met – lead responsibility for security, as they already have in Kabul. The conference is expected to lead to international funding for an Afghan-led reintegration program because, as military pressure intensifies, some insurgents will reassess their allegiances. “If we are to integrate former fighters permanently back into peaceful Afghan life, there needs to be a program that offers genuine alternative employment,” Mr. Miliband noted.
The international community will also be looking to President Karzai to turn promises to tackle corruption into serious action. And we will focus on development assistance, because Afghans need schools, roads and agricultural support to create jobs and provide alternative employment to the drugs trade or the insurgency.
The final element is regional. Pakistan is the priority; militants have long passed freely across border between the two countries. But all Afghanistan’s neighbors are affected by the drugs, terrorism and migration that spill over its borders, and all have an interest in the country’s stability.
