Communiqué of the Political Directors Meeting on Afghanistan

Tokyo, 5 February 2008

A high-level meeting of the countries and organizations present at the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) of the Afghanistan Compact reiterated that the Afghanistan Compact continues to provide the comprehensive framework for Afghanistan, integrating security, governance, rule of law and human rights, and social and economic development.

The participants expressed appreciation for the major achievements and the growing international commitment in the two years since the signing of the Afghanistan Compact - which sets the terms of a partnership between the Afghan Government and the international community to improve the lives of the Afghan people. The participants also welcomed the Afghan Government's efforts progressively to assume responsibility for governance, development and security, and looked forward to enhanced Afghan engagement in this regard.

They also noted that Taliban, related armed groups, terrorism and narcotics continue to pose a challenge, inhibiting the peace process; and governance has been challenged by capacity constraints, weak rule of law and corruption.

To consolidate the gains already made in Afghanistan and meet these challenges, the participants agreed to intensify their common efforts. Their joint approach will:

• Follow the priorities laid down in the Afghanistan Compact and its benchmarks;
• Reaffirm the Afghan Government's responsibility for leading the implementation of the vision agreed in the Afghanistan Compact;
• Intensify cross-border cooperation to enhance the regional consensus underpinning the Bonn Agreement and the Afghanistan Compact;
• Renew joint efforts to meet the threat which the narcotics industry poses;
• Enhance the capacity of government to deliver public services throughout the country, reduce corruption, and strengthen the environment for private investment to sustain economic growth and create employment;
• Encourage the international community to continue to devote the security and development resources needed to sustain the Afghan Government's efforts in the areas of security, governance and development;
• Prepare an international conference to review progress on the implementation of the Afghanistan Compact, and to support this joint approach and the finalization, launch and implementation of the Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS).

The participants expressed support for the JCMB to function even more effectively as the main strategic policy-coordinating forum between the Afghan Government and the international community. They recognized the central role to be played by the United Nation's Secretary-General's Special Representative and encouraged the early appointment of a successor to Mr. Koenigs.