The Berlin Donors' Conference: Helping Afghanistan Move Forward

Rebuilding Afghanistan  (pdf format: 524k)
Representatives from 65 nations and international organizations met in Berlin on March 31-April 1, 2004, to pledge their support for the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

This show of financial commitment goes hand-in-hand with the military resolve that has put 12,000 U.S. and 2,000 Coalition forces from 17 countries in Afghanistan.  Six additional countries have also offered 6,000 troops for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) under the control of NATO.

At the donors’ conference, Afghanistan received more than $8 billion in pledges for the next 3 years, exceeding the Government’s target of $4.4 billion for their current fiscal year. These pledges will support:

Elections in September 2004
Donors pledged approximately $66 million to register an estimated 10 million eligible voters and conduct presidential and parliamentary elections.

Economic growth
The legitimate Afghan economy is growing at about 20 percent annually. As security improves, private investment will be attracted to investment opportunities. This is already happening in small business. Additional U.S. and Japanese assistance will accelerate road construction, linking villagers and businesses to regional cities and markets for goods. The Asian Development Bank has offered Afghanistan $1 billion in grants and concessional loans for 2005-2008.

Health care
The U.S. Agency for International Development’s program to refurbish 150 existing clinics and construct 228 new clinics will expand essential health services to at least 12 million Afghans, including expectant mothers and newborns.

Security
The Afghan Government, in partnership with Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom, is training units of the Afghan National Army, National Police and Border Patrol to provide security for the Afghan people, reduce incidents of factional violence and destroy illicit poppy crops and the labs that produce drugs. The Governments of Afghanistan, Japan, the United States and the U.N. Assistance Mission to Afghanistan are pooling their expertise to disarm and reintegrate 100,000 Afghan troops by June 2005. In the first phase, 40,000 troops will be demobilized and all heavy weapons secured by the end of June 2004.