Perhaps, peace, good security situation and stability all would be meaningless unless the basic rights of individual is not protected and concerned, particularly the rights of women in all parts of the country from both external and internal threat. For this war-torn nation, specifically women, security is all about protection from unaccountable officials and other insurgent forces in the course of daily life. Confidently, once the international community and the United States stop their support, all human rights and other fragile gains would collapse and women would be the worst victims. As per the message from May’s NATO summit in Chicago, it was also promised that the Afghans would not again be abandoned by the international community after 2014.
Thus, it resulted in financial pledges for Afghan security forces beyond 2014, whose cost is estimated to be over $4 billion per year. This was no small achievement in today’s global economic climate, given growing disenchantment with Afghanistan. Yet, it is not enough. Unless funding for Afghanistan’s security forces is matched by investment in meeting people’s basic needs and by robust efforts to protect civilians and human rights, the money being spent on security could be wasted. Because, today it all about human rights protection and it must be assured that property rights are respected, injustices addressed, abuse of authority checked and there is efficiency and transparency in government’s service departments.
As of now, one of the most important dialogues about Afghanistan would be the matter of good security situation and the protection of human rights. The fund must ensure that the nation, particularly women do not suffer anymore from violence, discrimination and injustice.
The imperative now is to ensure that the blood spilled, money spent and gains made over the last decade are not reversed and that they yield a sustainable security dividend. What is needed is a partnership that focuses on meeting Afghans practical and most basic needs. The Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan in early July was an opportunity to set the right course, to substantiate the grand ambitions set out in many previous conferences, including in Bonn in December.
As the foreign troops prepare to exit the ground, the economic activity, revenues for the state and foreign aid budgets will drop. A virtue must be made of this necessity to rationalize international support in a way that protects people, supports them to manage their own affairs and rewards enterprise. This would lead the nation find their own ways towards independency in all affairs of the state.
Adding that the aid and development program activities also cannot alone deliver peace, any more than capability and empowerment of the security forces. An inclusive intra-Afghan political process is a must, supported by neighboring countries, both to end the country’s long nightmare and to reduce the need for costly security reasons.
Equally important is to ensure that presidential elections, slated for 2014, do not become the catalyst of violence again, but are accepted as credible by the population, ideally contributing to reconciliation. Not easy, given ongoing insurgency, but it can be done. Thus, the bedrock of longer-term security and stability is sustained improvement in the quality of life, authorities who are accountable, institutions that function and jobs.
Despite the decade of progress in areas as diverse as freedom of expression and political participation, infrastructure and mine clearance, healthcare and girl’s education, Afghans are increasingly anxious about the future and frustrated while observing the ongoing carelessness and extreme rise in corruption in government departments.
Five million still live as refugees or undocumented migrants. Conflict-induced displacement has risen steadily over the last five years. Women and children suffer disproportionately from the conflict while the youths flow into foreign countries in seeking for their survivals, disappointed of current lawlessness, insecurity situation, injustice and corruption while the future seems gloomy.
Today, 55% of Afghan children under five are stunted and their chances later in life of being self-reliant and contributing to economic growth are impaired. Female illiteracy and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world while violence and discrimination against them is increasing.
Land, soil, forests, water resources and mineral deposits are degraded by over three decades of conflict, prey to illicit exploitation. The incidence of disasters, including floods, earthquakes, avalanches and droughts, is increasing. Drug production is responding to international demand, as farmers seek incomes for their survival due to lack of attention to the agriculture production. It should be perceived that these are not the ingredients of stability. A long-term partnership is needed to tackle problems that are now inter-generational and paralyzing the growth towards stability, peace and rule of law.
First, protection of civilians, accountability and the rule of law must be hardwired into plans for the transition, training and support of security forces. Strengthening a police force that is professional, answerable and responsive to civilian’s essentials.
Second, funding for security must be matched by funding of a practical, needs-based development agenda that focuses on what Afghans want, especially creation of job opportunities, functioning institutions and basic services. They also need help to deal with urgent and extensive humanitarian needs suffering from lack of enough food and from injustice.
This must go hand in hand with support for public-private partnerships to generate revenues that will increase the country’s self sufficiency, infrastructure, services and responsible management and exploitation of the country’s vast natural resources which can to a great extent support the government financially.
Third, the Tokyo meeting should have clarified the respective roles and responsibilities of the Afghan government and international community and agree a mutual accountability mechanism that can assure to cover all the stockholders, including the most marginalized and excluded communities. Stronger and more accountable governance must have been the core aim of the deal. That is what local people want, entrepreneurs need and what western politicians must have if they are to vote the funds.
The price tag of continued support will be significant in contributing in financial growth of the country and security improvement that will enable the people to start investment. However, this will be modest compared to the vast sums now spent by the west on security currently over $2 billion a week and the cost both to Afghans, the region and the international community if social tensions and a sense of injustice go unchecked. Getting it right will pay enormous bonus for Afghans, the region and the world at large.
Above all, government is supposed to protect the rights of its people and make sure that all stockholders are included in any process and that most marginalized and excluded people are always prioritize in any initiative. Inequality and injustice must be stopped in its earliest beginning. People need to be supported, encouraged and protected in all matters.