Emergency Grant Aid to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the Afghan Elections Project in Afghanistan

July 16, 2004

On July 16 (Fri), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency grant aid of 8.8 million dollars (968 million yen) to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to support the Afghan Elections Project in Afghanistan.
The twice held Loya Jirga (Grand Council) in the political process in Afghanistan led to the establishment of the Transitional Administration and the adoption of the new Constitution which come into effect. The next stage in the process is the implementation of elections for launching an official administration.

On July 9, the Joint Electoral Management Board consisted of the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan and the UN (UNAMA and the UNDP) announced that it would carry out presidential elections on October 9, 2004 and parliamentary election in April-May next year. Based on this decision, the international community is required to extend early assistance for election budget (resource mobilization and management; operational support; polling; security support; civic education and information; political inclusiveness; observation facilitation; and out-of-country registration and voting).
Japan has provided assistance for the political process, improvement of security and reconstruction in general, to achieve the "consolidation of peace" in Afghanistan, and it has decided to implement this emergency grant aid, taking into account the importance of assistance for the holding of elections, the culmination of the political process in Afghanistan.

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