Japan's Assistance Package for Afghanistan

July 26, 2002

In light of the fact that the Afghanistan Transitional Administration, headed by President Hamid Karzai, was safely launched at the Emergency Loya Jirga in June this year, the Government of Japan has decided to extend an ODA assistance package of about 42 million dollars in total (targeting the projects marked * in the attached list) to support the Administration.
Because the reconstruction of Afghanistan is an issue, which the international community has to deal with in unity, Japan is extending this assistance in recognition that it should also strategically deal with this matter using diplomatic methods including ODA.
Japan announced at the Tokyo Conference (the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan) that it would extend assistance of up to 500 million dollars for the next two and a half years. With this package, Japan's restoration and reconstruction assistance for Afghanistan will reach a total of about 102 million dollars, and Japan's total assistance including humanitarian support implemented after the multiple terrorist attacks in the United States will reach about 200 million dollars.

Japan's Assistance Package for Afghanistan
- In light of Visits by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi and Prime Minister's
Special Representative Ogata -
Japan's Support for Afghanistan

1. Japan welcomes the fact that the political process in Afghanistan is making steady progress on the basis of the Bonn Agreement, the Emergency Loya Jerga was successfully convened in June of this year, and a transitional administration, headed by President Hamid Karzai, was safely inaugurated. With reference to statements made by Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi and Prime Minister's Special Representative Sadako Ogata, Japan takes this opportunity to announce its granting of a new assistance package utilizing Official Development Assistance (ODA) and totaling about $42 million. Japan announced at the Tokyo Conference (the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan) that it would provide a maximum of $500 million over two and a half years. As a result of the latest package, Japan's Assistance for recovery and reconstruction amounts to about $102 million. Combining humanitarian, recovery, and reconstruction assistance, the total since the terrorist attacks in September 2001 amounts to about $200 million.

2. The latest assistance package has been formulated in accordance with the concept of "Consolidation of Peace" which focuses Japan's efforts to help build a brighter future for the people of Afghanistan on three components or the three legs of a tripod : peace process - domestic security - humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, announced by Foreign Minister Kawaguchi on April 25 (she visited Afghanistan on May 1 and 2) and a proposal by Special Representative Ogata, who visited Afghanistan from June 13 to 19.

At present in Afghanistan, there is concern about the weakness of the administration, as symbolized by the assassination of Vice-President Abdul Qadir, and the poor state of domestic security. Following the close of the Emergency Loya Jerga, efforts in the field of domestic security are becoming increasingly important.
Also, for the securing of domestic security, strengthening of the government's administrative capability is essential. It is necessary for the international community to consistently maintain and strengthen its support for the transitional administration, which has a weak financial base.
Furthermore, the large-scale movement of population caused by an unexpectedly huge number of returning refugees (more than 1.3 million people from March of this year to the present) and the outbreak of internal displaced persons is exceeding the capacity of local communities to accept them. In addition, while the need for humanitarian support remains great, since full-scale reconstruction activities have not yet begun and still remain at the recovery stage, it is important to quickly deploy support to the regions and to realize seamless transition from humanitarian assistance to recovery and reconstruction.

1. Support for public safety

(1) Demobilization: Support for "Register for Peace" pilot project
(Note: In cooperation with the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Japan will extend support for the demobilization of, for a start, 20,000 former soldiers, their register, and their return to the local community through vocational training and so on.)

(2) Drug control: Support for implementation of the project to reinforce drug control operated by the United Nations International Drug Control Programme (UNDCP)
(pledged 500,000 dollars *, additional contribution is under consideration)

(3)Police: The National Police Agency is scheduled to dispatch a survey mission (late August), including experts, with a view to providing support for wireless communications equipment, etc.

(4) Landmines: additional land mine clearance support, etc. (under consideration)

2. Support for the strengthening of administration capacities

(1) Assistance for recurrent costs

Assistance for the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), targeting the significant shortage of annual revenue necessary for the establishment of a new government and for the outstanding amount of public servants' salaries (five million dollars *)
Supply of office equipment for the Transitional Administration (support of around 60 million yen * is under consideration)

(2) Personal assistance

Dispatch of experts: Continuous dispatches of advisers in the fields of education, health care, medical treatment, support for women, etc.
Acceptance of trainees: Aiming to accept at 60 trainees within this year. Trainees in the fields of broadcasting, health care, medical treatment have already arrived. In the future, it is planned to accept diplomats and those associated with education.

3. Development of assistance for regional areas

(1) Comprehensive assistance for the reintegration and the resettlement of refugees and internal displaced persons
(emergency grant aid of about 27 million dollars*)

(Note: In regions to which many refugees and displaced persons are returning, Japan, after proper consultation and coordination with the transitional administration of Afghanistan, including the regions, and in cooperation with multiple international organizations, will extend support in a priority manner for people's livelihood reconstruction and the restoration of accepting regions.)

- Materialization of Special Representative Ogata's proposal
- Selection of three priority regions (regions centered on Kandahar, Jalalabad, Mazar-Sharif)
- In cooperation with support, contributed to by Japan this time, of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCP: temporary housing, drinking water, etc.), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF: education), and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC: food), the Recovery and Employment Afghanistan Program (REAP) of the United Nations Development Program(UNDP), to which Japan has already contributed, etc.

(2) Contribution to the World Bank and the ADB by the Ministry of Finance

Community reconstruction assistance via NGOs (World Bank: about 2.046 million dollars*)
Assistance for the primary education of poor people in wide areas of Afghanistan (ADB: about four million dollars *)

(3) Start of JICA activities in regional areas

- Visit to Afghanistan by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) President Kawakami (late July)
- At present a mission has been dispatched to Kandahar, etc. to verify safety.
- Emergency reconstruction support (restoration of schools and hospitals, etc.) will begin in Kandahar and other regional cities as early as mid-August. Also, a survey mission is scheduled to be dispatched to shape projects.

4. Further efforts

(1) Support for the " Kabul Emergency Water Supply Project" and "Maintenance of the Equipment of the Mother and Child Health Care Hospital" by the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan (emergency grant aid: 426 million yen*)

(2) Additional grant aid for general projects (education, health and medical care, media infrastructure, public transportation, etc.) (now under consideration)

5. Cultural exchanges

(1) Visit to Japan by Dr. Sayed Makhdoom Raheen, Minister of Culture and Information, Afghanistan (July 28 - 31)

(2) The Japan Foundation project (folklore music concert) (August 23 -25)

(3) Dispatch of an investigation team for cultural reconstruction support and cultural exchange projects of Afghanistan (at the end of August)

(4) Dispatch of a wrestling coach (Mr. Akaishi, expert from the Japan Foundation, August - October)

(5) Assistance for the preservation project for the Bamiyan ruins (Japan Trust Fund of the UNESCO, about 700,000 dollars)

6. Cooperation with NGOs

Active support for the activities of NGOs in the fields of education, refugee settlement promotion, medical treatment, etc., by the recently announced grant aid to Japanese NGOs.

7. Preparation of conditions

(1) increase of Embassy staff and strengthening of the functions of the Embassy

(2) JICA office (opened on July 14.)

(END)

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