Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2003-01-15-Speech-3-007"
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Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, it is now a year since the Bonn Agreement was signed in 2001 and, as we look back over what has already been done and what has yet to be done in order to ensure it is fully implemented, I would point out that this Agreement laid the foundations for a new, modern Afghan state and that there is cause for reserved satisfaction with the progress it has made so far.
If Afghanistan is to enter modern statehood, it needs to reform its security, administrative, judicial, financial and social domains. We welcome the fact that a constitutional drafting committee has been set up to draft a constitution which will modernise the judicial system and protect human rights. However, we note that the Civil Service Commission is not yet fully functioning. The European Union is committed to contributing to the work of these bodies. The Judicial Commission needs to be strengthened if it is to improve the procedural system. We welcome Italy’s contribution here in organising the conference on the Afghan legal system in Rome last December. We need timetables and benchmarks here in order to ensure the provisions of the Bonn agreement are applied. Activating the constitutional drafting committee and adopting an electoral law so that elections can be held by June 2004 are immediate priorities here and the presidency will continue to monitor these issues through the European Union’s special representative in Afghanistan.
2003 will be a crucial year for Afghanistan and will most likely decide the future shape of the country. During 2003, President Karzai will need to push through the reforms needed for fast reconstruction and rebuilding, curtail the powers of local leaders, draft a modern, working constitution based on the principles of honest administration, convene a constituent Loya Jirga and start preparations for elections in 2004, so that the Afghan people can realise their aspirations for peace and progress in Afghanistan and determine their own future, free from violence and fear. We have reiterated the European Union’s continued commitment to delivering a substantial contribution to the reconstruction of Afghanistan.
Finally, may I remind you that, in its conclusions of 4 December, the Council invited the High Representative and the European Union’s special representative, Mr Vendrell, to follow closely the implementation of the Petersberg commitments and, in cooperation with the Commission, to make recommendations for further actions that the European Union can undertake in support of the Afghan Transitional Administration.
Once a transitional authority and administration had been set up, an emergency Loya Jirga was convened and elected a president. A Judicial Commission and an Independent Human Rights Commission have been set up. A central bank has been established and has introduced a national currency. A drafting committee has been set up as a forerunner to a Constitutional Commission. A proposal has been adopted for a national development framework, which will be used as a guide for rebuilding and improving the situation in the country. President Karzai has issued a decree creating an Afghan national army, an important step towards Afghan ownership in the field of security and stability. On 22 December 2002, Afghanistan and its six neighbours signed the Kabul Declaration of Good Neighbourly Relations, in which they agreed not to interfere in each other’s internal affairs; this will do a great deal to foster peace and stability in the region. Generally speaking, President Karzai and the Afghan Transitional Administration have achieved substantial results and the Bonn Process is on the right track.
During the Petersberg Conference on 2 December reaffirming the commitment to supporting the Bonn Agreement on Afghanistan and inject new impetus into efforts to rebuild the country, a declaration was issued containing a clear reference to the objectives and timetable for applying the Bonn Process, introducing a new constitution and holding elections in 2004.
Both the Afghan Transitional Administration and the international community, however, still have a great many challenges to meet between now and then. Over the past six months there have been a number of reforms, some visible reconstruction and limited restoration of the balance of power both within the central administration and between the centre and the regions. Progress needs to be made in these sectors in order to boost the confidence of the Afghan people, which is the key to support for the administration. The whole idea behind the Bonn Agreement was that transitional arrangements should be based on traditional, local, national and religious structures in Afghanistan. And every effort must be made to ensure there is proper representation, in accordance with rules introduced by the central administration.
Consequently, the administration will need to introduce even greater order over coming months, keep a lid on hostilities and improve how the institutions function, because otherwise it risks incurring the disappointment of the people, with the risk of their turning their back on the central administration, relaxing in their efforts to meet the demands of the international community and jeopardising the efforts being made to achieve the objectives of the Bonn Agreement. By definition the administration is fragmented, with its members coming as they do from every corner of the country, which is why it is vital for it to consolidate its efforts and speed up the process to rebuild the country. One way of supporting the central administration is to ensure that all aid is channelled through it; this will affirm its authority to the entire country and ensure that neighbouring countries and local leaders are on board.
Security continues to be a priority and we feel that all the Afghan groups should be encouraged to solve their grievances in a peaceful manner. We share the view of the Afghan people that, as long as there is a state of insecurity, the degree of progress hoped for has still not been made. Rebuilding the country’s economy should also be a priority. The Afghan authorities need to work with the International Monetary Fund and introduce an efficient and cohesive macroeconomic and monetary framework within which stable economic development can be fostered and donors’ contributions invested. As part of this, we need to encourage the Tokyo donors to make the promised funds available through the national investment budget presented by the Afghan administration.
Naturally, Community aid to Afghanistan will continue to be provided on terms dictated by the basic principles and values we subscribe to as members of western society. Our terms are geared to achieving the aims of the Bonn Agreement and, by extension, ensuring all sides in Afghanistan comply with the procedure set up to achieve peace, a representative government and stability, convict terrorists and stop the illicit production and trafficking of narcotics. Community aid must be geared to rebuilding a stable nation, improving the food supply and supporting the return of refugees and exiles.
Unless democratic values, pluralism and the respect for human rights, including women’s rights, are strengthened, there can be no social or political development in Afghanistan. We are encouraging the Afghan Transitional Administration, in close consultation with the international community, to establish verifiable benchmarks and timetables to ensure the full implementation of the Bonn Agreement. The Council has already expressed its appreciation for the role Turkey assumed as lead nation for the international peacekeeping force and we would like to commend Germany and the Netherlands for agreeing to take over the command of ΙSAF for the next six months and wish them every success with this difficult mission.
I should like to reiterate the European Union’s commitment, in cooperation with the United Nations, to help Afghanistan eliminate the illicit production and trafficking of narcotics through accelerated implementation of reconstruction programmes, including in poppy-growing areas, the development of law-enforcement institutions, and provision of an alternative, better livelihood for the local people."@en1
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