Canada's Active Role in Afghan Development
March 2006
At the 2006 London Conference, Afghan President Hamid Karzai presented a five-year development plan to the donor community. The following initiatives, funded by the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), are aligned to support the Government of Afghanistan's Interim National Development Strategy.
Enhancing security
Anti-Personnel Mine & Ammunition Stockpile Destruction (APMASD)
Years of conflict have generated war debris across Afghanistan. Explosive remnants of war, including ammunition stockpiles, are a serious security issue because most of the ammunition is stored unsafely with stockpiles having little or no guarding in place. If the ammunition is not collected or destroyed, it can be used as improvised explosive devices by illegal armed groups.
This project will support the Government of Afghanistan in surveying, collecting and destroying the most dangerous stockpiles, and therefore reduce the security risk of illicit use of anti-personnel mines and ammunition. With today's funding announcement of $7 million, over three years, Canada will maintain its lead donor position to the APMASD program.
Disbandment of Illegal Armed Groups
The disarmament of pre-democracy armed forces has contributed greatly to the overall improvement of the security environment in Afghanistan, however, a significant number of illegal armed groups still exist posing a serious threat to peace and stability in the country.
This initiative will support the Government of Afghanistan's goal to establish a secure environment through disarmament and disbandment of these groups, setting the conditions for good governance and the rule of law, thereby reducing the level of armed violence throughout the country.
Canada, already a leading donor to this program, will provide an additional $7 million, over three years, to support the disbandment of illegal armed groups, helping to ensure the consolidation of efforts towards the rule of law in Afghanistan.
Mine Action National Development Budget
Mine clearance will promote agricultural revival, economic development and human security in Afghanistan. Since 2002, CIDA has contributed $25 million for mine action initiatives in Afghanistan, through UN Mine Action Services (UNMAS). Canada has led the international process in the development of the International Convention Against the Use of Landmines and is currently the lead nation on mine action in Afghanistan. CIDA's latest contribution of $5 million will be provided to UNMAS to continue its work in mine clearance, impact surveys, mine awareness programs and rehabilitation for victims.
Addressing the drug challenge
Counter Narcotics-Integrated Alternative Livelihoods Program in Kandahar
Afghanistan's trade in drugs is seen as the biggest challenge to its long-term security, development and governance, and according to a 2005 UN survey, the province of Kandahar is the second largest producer of poppies in Afghanistan. This innovative initiative, a pilot to be conducted in Kandahar by the Afghan Government, seeks to demonstrate that there are viable and sustainable alternatives to poppy production. These alternatives will be offered to farmers to allow them to sustain their rural families, while giving up the illegal cultivation of poppies.
The project, which is in line with the Government of Afghanistan's Alternative Livelihoods Investment Plan, will provide funding of $18.5 million over four years. It will be Canada's flagship project in support of counter-narcotics efforts in Afghanistan, and could lead to similar approaches elsewhere in the country.
Counter Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF)
The CNTF is intended to support all eight pillars of the Afghan National Drug Control Strategy: Building Institutions, Public Awareness/Information Campaign, Alternative Livelihoods, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Eradication, Drug Demand Reduction and Treatment of Drug Addicts, and International and Regional Cooperation. The purpose of the CNTF is to mobilize and channel additional resources through Afghan governmental institutions in order to support the efforts of the Government in fighting illicit drug production, and implementing the National Drug Control Strategy in Afghanistan. CIDA's $1.2 million contribution will be largely channeled to the Alternative Livelihoods component of the CNTF.
Creating economic opportunities
Vocational Training and Food Aid for War Widows
Since the late nineties, CIDA has been committed to the welfare and long term sustainability for war widows in Kabul and their dependants. To date, more than 40,000 vulnerable people have received food support through this program. While food aid addresses immediate basic needs, CIDA is also concerned with seeing that there are opportunities to secure a self-sustaining livelihood. Today's one-year commitment of $2.5 million to CARE Canada will assist with food aid support to the widows while the vocational training aspect, to be implemented by CARE Canada and World University Service of Canada (WUSC), is brought on-line.
This new training program for women, to which CIDA will provide approximately $4.5 million over five years, will give women the opportunity to acquire skills that meet labour-market demand, including increased literacy and numeracy skills. In addition, women will have increased access to job placements and job search assistance.
Food assistance and health education, coupled with vocational and skills training for sustainable income-generation, are key to the continued health and well-being of the vulnerable Afghan women and their dependants.
National Solidarity Program (NSP)
The NSP is the Government of Afghanistan's mechanism for the development of rural infrastructure, reintegration of refugees and demobilization of ex-combatants, nation-wide. The program seeks to reduce poverty through strengthening community level governance and by providing grants to communities throughout the country to implement projects identified by communities themselves such as reconstruction activities. CIDA's latest contribution of $10 million to support the work of the NSP will be made through the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.
National Area-Based Development Program
This program is one of the National Programs of the Afghan Government. It plans, manages and coordinates local and regional recovery and development efforts at the district level. This, the second phase of the program, will generate sustainable employment by supporting urgent regional recovery and development efforts. Employment opportunities for skilled and unskilled workers will be provided through 450-600 public works projects. CIDA's support of $3 million to the National Area-Based Development Program will be delivered through the United Nations Development Program, which administers the program jointly with the Afghan Government.
Building confidence in government
Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF)
The World Bank has identified support to government operations as a high priority for international donors. To address that priority, CIDA will contribute an additional $22 million to the ARTF to support the on-going budget requirements of the Government of Afghanistan, bringing Canada's total contribution to $109.5 million. The funding, which is administered by the World Bank in close collaboration with the Government of Afghanistan, will help the Afghan Government meet its general operating costs for such expenditures as salaries for nurses, teachers and doctors, interest payments, as well as operations and infrastructure maintenance.
Note: The Canadian Provincial Reconstruction Team in Kandahar is aimed at promoting the conditions of security in that province which will extend the reach and benefits of the Afghan central government and enable other development actors to assist on the region's development.
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