DIALOGUE
In this section:
Notes from Schieck
Notes from Schieck
A Five-Year Plan for Afghanistan
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Fred Schieck
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On Jan. 31, I accompanied the U.S. delegation, led by Secretary
of State Condoleezza Rice, to London for the 2006 Afghanistan
Donors’ Conference. The Afghanistan Compact agreement,
signed the following day, was the result of consultation between
the government of Afghanistan, the UN, and other donors. It
put in place a framework for cooperation for the next five
years.
With completion of parliamentary and provincial government
elections in September, the so-called Bonn Process ended.
That process was designed five years ago to begin the reconstruction
of the country following a quarter-century of war and to lay
the groundwork for reestablishing a sovereign government for
the people of Afghanistan.
The London conference was an occasion for stock-taking—a
look back at how far we have come and a look forward to the
course of development over the next five years. It was also
the moment for the international community to recommit itself
to the Afghan people and for the Afghan people to come forward
in assuming responsibility for their own future.
The next five years will see us focused on trying to help
the Afghans deepen democracy and build their government’s
capacity so that education, health, and other essential services
are provided and improved. We will also be focused on strengthening
a market economy, rebuilding much needed infrastructure, and
resuscitating agriculture as an alternative to poppy production,
a problem that limits Afghanistan’s national goals.
The London conference was by no means a traditional donors’
conference. Until now, the G-8 countries have been the organizational
structure for international assistance. At this conference
we put in place a coordinating and monitoring board that will
be led by a minister of the Afghan government and by a UN
representative.
The United States is by far the leading donor to Afghanistan,
giving at a pace that has accelerated over the past two years.
This includes significant amounts of assistance for governance,
reconstruction, and security provision.
Rice also used the occasion to announce the Businesses Building
Bridges initiative, a public-private partnership with U.S.
business leaders that will help cement business relationships
and other productive linkages between the U.S. and Afghanistan
private sectors.
Over the next year, these entrepreneurs will use their expertise
and knowledge of U.S. business practices to help launch programs
to mentor the Afghan business community—including women
entrepreneurs. These linkages will broaden understanding of
business environments in both countries and help develop innovative
ways to increase foreign investment. American business leaders
will also be traveling to Afghanistan and will host senior
Afghan business executives in the United States to further
exchange knowledge and skills.
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