London 31 Jan. 2006

Secretary General's intervention at the London Conference 31 January 2006 President Karzai, Secretary General Annan, Secretary Reid, Your Excellencies, Our common goal, and NATO’s continuing, firm commitment, is to work with the Government and People of Afghanistan to ensure security and stability in their country. We see the democratically elected Government of Afghanistan as a strategic partner in accomplishing this task. It has been almost two years since we met in Berlin . We can be proud of the landmark changes and positive evolution in Afghanistan . While NATO and the International Community rightfully deserve some credit, none of this would have been possible without the courageous efforts and vision of the Afghan people themselves. When NATO took over the leadership of ISAF in 2003, we knew that this would be one of the most challenging NATO missions ever, as well as a long term commitment. Today we meet to launch a new phase of international support for Afghanistan . As we renew our commitment, my message to you essentially remains constant: NATO will continue to work side by side with the Afghan government and people in the years to come. The growing number of ISAF forces, soon to reach over 16,000 from 36 NATO and Partner countries, is a visible sign of this commitment. I would like to pay tribute to all the men and women who are serving NATO in Afghanistan . In particular, I want to thank the UK for the very significant commitment of forces it announced last week. I also want to thank the other Allies who have committed forces, and I am confident that those Allies now considering sending forces will decide to do so, so that solidarity in NATO is as strong as possible. The Afghanistan Compact highlights correctly that "security remains a fundamental prerequisite for achieving stability and development in Afghanistan ” but that "security cannot be provided by military means alone". These two fundamental assertions reflect the current situation in Afghanistan . They also say a lot about NATO and ISAF's expanding commitment, our current priorities, and future strategy in working together with our Afghan friends and other partners in the International Community. Over the past two and a half years, both ISAF and Afghanistan have come a long way. ISAF, working with the Afghan Security Forces, helped ensure security for the recent Presidential and Parliamentary elections, helped to establish a secure environment in 13 provinces through nine Provincial Reconstruction Teams, and established itself as a reliable partner both to the Government and the people of Afghanistan, and to the other organizations present here today. Enhancing this cooperation remains a top priority for the Alliance . Last December, NATO Foreign Ministers of agreed to expand NATO's support to peace and security in Afghanistan . This means that ISAF first will deploy to the South and eventually throughout all of Afghanistan . Building on our experience in the North and the West, PRTs will remain the leading edge of NATO's efforts. We realize that, as we expand our geographic presence, the operating environment will be more challenging, but the Alliance is determined to meet these challenges in coordination with the Afghan Forces and the U.S. led Coalition. And while our mission will expand, our main objective remains the same: to allow the Government of Afghanistan to assume full control and responsibility for security in all regions and provinces. And as the Afghanistan Compact correctly underscores, we are at an important phase in this process. We fully subscribe to the fundamental principal of increasing Afghan ownership in all areas, including security. And therefore, while ISAF PRTs will step up their assistance for Security Sector Reform, our goal - together with the G8 lead nations - is to help the Afghan National Army to meet the needs of the country and the population at large. Strengthening Afghan ownership is also one of the main principles of the broader partnership that NATO and Afghanistan are currently developing, in response to President Karzai's request for a long-term relationship with the Alliance . This programme will complement the gains achieved through ISAF’s presence, in particular at the level of Afghanistan ’s central security and defence institutions. It will be specially tailored to the needs of Afghanistan . In closing, let me underscore the guiding principle that security cannot be achieved by military means alone. While ISAF will fulfill its tasks in security matters, we cannot succeed without adequate civil governance, rule of law and economic and community development. Institution building, development, reconstruction, and human capacity building mutually reinforce the security efforts. That is why we will continue to work closely with the Government of Afghanistan, the United Nations, the EU, the G-8 nations, individual donor nations and many others as strategic Partners in fulfilling the aspirations of the Afghan people and their freely elected representatives. To achieve our goals, a unified effort by Afghanistan and the international community is essential. In that regard, I applaud the Afghanistan Compact – including the lead role taken on by the United Nations. We look forward to working closely with our Afghan friends and our international partners to implement this Compact.