On July 20, foreign ministers and diplomats from 70 countries and international organizations attended the International Conference on Afghanistan in Kabul. The conference backed Afghan President Hamid Karzai's peace initiative with the Taliban, noting that the peace move is aimed at those militants who are willing to renounce violence and respect the Afghan constitution.[1]
In his address, President Karzai told the diplomats that Afghan security forces will fully take over security responsibilities in Afghanistan by 2014, stating: "I remain determined that our Afghan national security forces will be responsible for all military and law enforcement operations throughout our country by 2014."[2]
At the end of the day-long conference, a 32-point communiqué was issued by the participants, initiating what it called a "Kabul Process" under which the strength of the Afghan National Army (ANA) and the Afghan National Police (ANP) will be raised respectively to "171,600 personnel and 134,000 by October 2011." The communiqué does not mention the roles of Pakistan, Iran, and India, the powerful neighbors of Afghanistan with influence in the country, but calls upon them to join efforts to overcome the decades-long conflict in Afghanistan.
Some key highlights of the communiqué include:
- The participants of the conference supported President Hamid Karzai's objective that the Afghan National Security Forces should lead and conduct military operations in all provinces by the end of 2014.
- As per the mandate set by the January 28 London Conference, the participants restated their strong support for channeling at least 50% of development aid through the Afghan government's core budget within two years.
- The government of Afghanistan pledged to initiate within six months a strategy for long-term electoral reform that addresses in particular the sustainability of the electoral process in Afghanistan.
- The Karzai government pledged to progressively enhance the strength of the Afghan National Army to 171,600 personnel, and the Afghan National Police to 134,000, by October 2011, around the time the U.S. troops will have begun withdrawing.
- The conference endorsed in principle President Karzai's plan to reintegrate the Taliban into Afghan society, noting however that the peace and reintegration program "is open to all Afghan members of the armed opposition [i.e. the Taliban] and their communities who renounce violence [and] have no links to international terrorist organizations."
- It noted that good governance, the rule of law, and human rights form the foundation of the strategy to achieve a stable and prosperous Afghanistan, observing that improvements in these areas will not only "increase the confidence of the Afghan people in their own future, but also underpin security improvements and economic and social development."
- The participants committed the integration of women into all priority programs and reiterated their commitment to assist all national ministries and sub-national government bodies in implementing their respective responsibilities under the National Action Plan for the Women of Afghanistan.
Note: JTTM subscribers and members of the government, military, and the media can request a copy of the full report by writing to [email protected] with "Communique of the International Conference on Afghanistan" in the subject line.
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