Canada's contribution to the reconstruction process in Afghanistan
2006-11-15
Mr. Chairman,
Dear Colleagues and Members of the Committee,
It is an honour for me, as the Canadian Minister of International Cooperation, Minister of la Francophonie and Minister of Official Languages, to talk to you today about the serious issues facing us as members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
For several years now, we have been conducting joint actions, such as the one in the Balkans. We must continue to combine our forces, tirelessly pursue our objectives of peace and security, and explain our actions to our populaces.
We are collectively engaged in promoting peace and security and safeguarding the principles of democracy, individual freedom and the primacy of law.
Today, I see no greater challenge than the one we have taken up in Afghanistan.
I met President Karzaï during his visit to Canada in September. He talked to me about his fight against terror, intimidation, violence and oppression. He heads a democratically elected government and asked for help from the Member States of the United Nations and NATO to ensure the future of the Afghan people.
Canada has answered that call. We are in Afghanistan. Our soldiers, our Canadian cooperants and our diplomats are helping Afghans to pursue their legitimate aspirations of peace and security and to guarantee a better future for their children.
Civil activity is essential to security in Afghanistan, just as military activity is necessary for development.
Our activities in Afghanistan are consistent with the United Nations Security Council mandate. We are one of 59 nations that have come together with Afghanistan's development and reconstruction as their objective. On the bilateral level, Canada is the fifth largest donor in Afghanistan.
Last spring we increased our development aid, bringing Canada's total contribution to close to a billion dollars over ten years, in order to help the people of Afghanistan.
Today, I am appealing to you all, parliamentarians from NATO member countries. I am asking you to redouble your efforts on behalf of the women, men and children of Afghanistan. It is essential that we attract the greatest possible number of countries and NGOs to this cause. The Afghans greatly need the reconstruction, development and security efforts to continue in their country.
As in the past, NATO member countries must do all they can to work together to contribute to Afghanistan's development and security.
As the Canadian Minister of International Cooperation, I am responsible for managing the public funds that our country allocates to development. I also have the great privilege of translating Quebecers' and Canadians' compassion for the less privileged into action.
The promotion of liberty, democracy, the primacy of law, human rights and the rights of children, and equality between women and men are the principles that guide all of the Canadian government's development activities. These principles reflect the values of Canadian society.
In order to put these principles to work for oppressed or vulnerable societies, the government of Canada adopted an approach that focuses on three mutually reinforcing areas: defence, diplomacy and development.
The security to which 2 300 Canadian soldiers contribute in Afghanistan creates a climate that is conducive to development. And just a few minutes from here, soldiers stationed at Valcartier will be going to support our mission Afghanistan. Allow me a minute to salute their courage and to thank them. I want to convey to them and their loved ones our gratitude and that of the Afghan people.
Our work with local communities would be impossible without security. But we know that military measures alone will not produce success. Success also requires a strong and unwavering civilian contribution. Teachers, engineers, election advisors, direct aid and technical assistance.
That is why Canada is involved in activities such as rebuilding schools for girls.
The Afghan people and their President, Hamid Karzai, have made a choice in favour of democracy. We are proud to support this democratically-elected government so that this choice delivers concrete results for the Afghans, and especially for Afghan women and children who have suffered so much. The Afghans need our help. We cannot abandon them.
We have discovered the following to be true of developing countries that are also on the path to democracy: the people live an average of ten years longer; the children are half as likely to die before the age of five and twice as many of those children attend secondary school.
That is what makes the path to democracy so attractive.
We are quite aware that our mission in Afghanistan is not completed. We have no illusions about the difficulties that await us.
It is an important mission. Failure is not an option. We will succeed.
The Afghan constitution guarantees equality between women and men. It is a step in the right direction, but much still remains to be done.
I met the Afghan Minister for the Status of Women, Ms Bano Ghanzanfar, during her visit to Canada, and in Kabul last month. I also met the Director of the Women's Bureau in Kandahar, Ms Rona Terin. We discussed the projects we have undertaken to support Afghan women seeking to emancipate themselves, get an education and acquire the tools to guarantee their future. They told me about their needs. They both stressed the importance of giving women access to employment and the importance of being able to live in security.
Last week, I met Louise Arbour, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. We discussed ways of helping women. Women' participation in development is essential to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
What have we done for Afghan women?
- Canada has helped over 200,000 Afghans, 75 % of them women, to obtain small loans to start up their own micro-businesses or purchase tools or farm animals in order to meet their families' needs.
- Thanks to a project that I announced last month, up to 4000 community schools will be renovated, extracurricular activities will be created and 4000 teachers will be trained. This project, whose essential goal is to educate girls, has a budget of $14.5 million.
- I also announced another project, with a $5-million budget, designed to integrate women into the labour market by growing fruits and vegetables. This project will allow some 1500 Afghan women to improve their family's diet while setting up their own small business and providing a regular income.
The Provincial Reconstruction Team is working to stabilize the situation in the province of Kandahar, which allows the Afghan government and non-governmental organizations to undertake development work. The Canadian Forces and development aid workers have joined together to support the efforts of the local people to build their communities.
This approach is aimed at reaching remote and vulnerable groups, who live where the government has not been able to make its presence felt, and where there is a lack of confidence in government. This collaboration build confidence, and we can already see signs of progress. For example, schools in the district of Panjwai, in Kandahar province, reopened their doors earlier this month. This kind of success is possible thanks to the operations led by NATO troops, in this case under Canadian command.
Once security is established in this way, it becomes possible to implement programs that deliver results, as we have seen in other parts of Afghanistan. For example:
- More than 10,000 community councils have been elected across the country. These councils have implemented some 5,000 projects with Canadian support. These have included health centres, water wells, and schools, among other things.
- Afghanistan has adopted a new constitution and has held presidential and parliamentary elections. Many women have been elected; one quarter of the parliamentarians are women, which is very encouraging.
- More than five million children are going to school, and a third of these are girls.
- More than 65,000 landmines have been cleared and destroyed in four years.
Our action plan for the coming months promises further progress:
- We have begun vaccinating 7 million children against polio;
- We have invested in vocational training for thousands of women, primarily widows and heads of families, to offer them better employment opportunities;
- We are working to reinforce the institutions of the Afghan government so that it can provide public health and education services.
And here is what the government of Canada intends to do in Kandahar province.
- We will provide rations for 12,000 families
- We will vaccinate over 360,000 children against polio
- We will develop medical services in villages
- We will begin a literacy program for 3500 women
- We will support implementation of the projects chosen by the twelve newly elected community development councils in Kandahar
Finally, I am pleased to announce today that Canada will be providing $500,000 to extend the iodized salt programs so as to reach 60 % of the population of Afghanistan, an additional 10 million people. It is estimated that this initiative will spare some 100,000 Afghan children mental deficiencies due to iodine deficiency.
We will also be contributing $250,000 to provide iron-enriched flour and make bread more nutritious. This program will benefit some 2.5 million Afghans and will reduce the incidence of anaemia, a health problem that affects 65 % of Afghan children under five and 61 % of Afghans between 15 and 49. Anaemia affects children's cognitive and physical development and causes some 2600 maternal deaths in Afghanistan each year.
Afghanistan is the largest recipient of Canadian aid. Our presence on Afghan soil is an accurate reflection of the Government of Canada's determination to promote stability and support the reconstruction of countries in crisis.
Vulnerable states such as Afghanistan deserve special attention and concerted pan-governmental action.
In closing, as the Minister responsible for the Quebec City region, I have to mention the Celebrations of the 400th anniversary of Quebec City. In 2008, Quebec City will be the site for festivities from the beginning of the year until October, when the celebration will conclude with the Francophone Summit. The cooperation between the municipal, provincial and federal governments will make it a memorable success. The Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, had this to say at the most recent Francophone summit, in Bucharest: "everyone should have two cities in their heart, their own and ... Quebec." I invite you all to come be part of this.
Thank you.
- 30 -
|