Japan's Official Development Assistance White Paper 2007
Next PageMain Text > Part II ODA DISBURSEMENTS IN FISCAL YEAR 2005 > Chapter 2 Details about Japan's ODA > Section 2. Measures for Each of the Priority Issues > 4. Peacebuilding > (2) Afghanistan
(2) Afghanistan
Since its basic system of governance and economic and social infrastructures were destroyed due to conflicts that lasted over 20 years, Afghanistan has been continuing its efforts aimed at building a new nation. Since the terrorist attacks in the United States in 2001, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community have been working together to revitalize the country.
Japan has continued to provide consistent assistance for the reconstruction of Afghanistan. Japan's assistance is based on the idea that efforts for peace and reconstruction in Afghanistan lead to the peace and stability of the world as a whole, as well as the eradication and prevention of terrorism. Japan hosted the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan (Tokyo Conference) in January 2002. Here, Japan ensured assistance of over US$4.5 billion from the international community as a whole, and announced that Japan, for its part, would provide assistance of up to US$500 million over two and a half years. In addition to this, at the Berlin Conference held in March 2004 and the London Conference held in January 2006, Japan announced its intention to extend an additional US$400 million and US$450 million respectively. By November 2007 more than US$1.24 billion worth of assistance had already been implemented. Japan has been actively extending its assistance toward the reconstruction of Afghanistan and it intends to continue to do so in future.
<Assistance to Afghanistan>
Japan's assistance to Afghanistan is based on the concept of the "consolidation of peace" as advocated in 2002 by the then Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi, and is built upon three pillars: the political processes and governance, improvement of security, and reconstruction.
See Chart II-25 for concept of consolidation of peace
Support for the political process and governance aims at restoring the basic systems that form the framework of the country. Examples of this type of support include administrative expenses support to the interim government and support for election monitoring of the 2005 presidential election and the subsequent parliamentary election.
Also, in order to help to improve security, Japan provides assistance for the restoration of security needed for the consolidation of peace, including Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of ex-soldiers (DDR), landmine removal measures, and police support. In particular, Japan cooperated as a lead country in the DDR process, completing support for the disarmament and demobilization of approximately 60,000 former soldiers on July 7, 2005, and for the reintegration of demobilized ex-soldiers in June 2006.
In addition, Japan is providing reconstruction assistance based on recommendations (the Ogata Initiative) of the then Special Representative of the Prime Minister Sadako Ogata, which was made upon her visit to Afghanistan in 2002. Such assistance includes agriculture and rural development assistance and resettlement assistance for refugees and internally displaced persons. In addition, a range of international cooperation is being provided, including assistance through grassroots human security grant aid that directly benefits the local residents in Afghanistan, as well as infrastructure development such as the reconstruction of highways that is being conducted collaboratively by Japan and the United States.
In addition, with the cooperation of the National Research Institute for Cultural Properties75 (an independent administrative institute), plans are being prepared for the preservation, restoration, and utilization of the World Heritage site Bamiyan Valley Remains, and preservation and restoration work on the grotto's wall paintings. Archeological researches to identify the terrains of the ruins are in progress.
Support Program for Reintegration and Community Development in Kandahar (Photo: JICA)
<Future Support>
With regard to the additional support of US$450 million announced at the London Conference on Afghanistan, Japan is steadily assisting nation-building efforts for a new Afghanistan, based on the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS). In addition, upon the visit of President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan to Japan in July 2006, Japan held the Second Tokyo Conference on Consolidation of Peace in Afghanistan where it declared that it would continue to offer support for the development of Afghanistan. At present, Afghanistan has passed through the stages of requiring emergency humanitarian assistance, recovery and reconstruction, and now is shifting to the stage of full-scale development assistance. However, Afghanistan still faces major issues that will affect its ability to sustain development, such as persistent poverty and problems with security, including the continued existence of many illegal armed groups not covered by DDR.
In order to support efforts to resolve these issues, Japan provides assistance for the disbandment of illegal armed groups (DIAG) to improve security in Afghanistan. In order to support reconstruction efforts, Japan believes that it is extremely important to stimulate the agricultural sector, which is the mainstay of Afghanistan's economy, and the sector that employs the most people. Accordingly, Japan intends to provide its assistance for Afghanistan with the following pillars: development of basic infrastructure to fulfill agricultural and rural development; and comprehensive rural development which targets capacity development of its government and communities. Japan also provides assistance for infrastructure development, including the construction of highways and airports, human resource development for Afghanistan's administrative bodies, along with medical and educational assistance aimed at the country's medium- to long-term development. Furthermore, emphasis is being placed on community development for countries surrounding Afghanistan, based on the understanding that development focused on collaborations with the neighboring nations of Central Asia will be needed.
In order to widen the range of Japanese assistance for Afghanistan in cooperation with the international community, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on the occasion of his visit to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in January 2007, expressed willingness to work closely with the NATO Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) in Afghanistan in the reconstruction assistance in the areas of primary education, vocational training, health and medical care, and water and sanitation. To bring this cooperation into shape, Japan and NATO decided at the 7th Japan-NATO High-Level Consultations in March 2007, to provide support in cooperation with the PRTs through the framework of Japanese Grant Aid for grassroots projects to NGOs and local government administrations engaged in the above-mentioned areas. In September 2007 Japan launched assistances in cooperation with the Lithuania-led PRT in Ghor province for vocational training and female literacy education. Japan is willing to steadily continue to carry out this new endeavor.
Chart II-28. Breakdown of Support to Afghanistan (as of November 2007)
