End of the "Standard Procedure" Principle

The Afghanistan conference in Paris saw pledges of a further 21 billion dollars from the international community. The aid is to be spent more effectively and precisely than to date over the next five years. A report by the Afghanistan expert Martin Gerner

In contrast to earlier donor conferences, the Paris agenda was not focused solely on money and financial aid, but also on another valuable resource: trust.

According to a recent study by the independent organisation Integrity Watch Afghanistan, only one in three Afghans feels sufficiently involved in the reconstruction of society steered by the international players.

The feeling of not being sufficiently consulted and not being able to co-determine the country's fate is increasingly leading to distrust and scepticism towards the aid agencies.

"We are the best people to put our priorities and plans into practice," says a women's rights lawyer in Herat stubbornly, "we don't need instructions from outside."

Exorbitant imbalance

This statement does not necessarily reflect the general mood in Afghanistan. But most Afghans are convinced that a large part of the aid benefits the foreign aid workers themselves: for their cars, homes and often comparatively excessive wages.

In some cases, advisors for international organisations earn an incredible thousand times more than their Afghan colleagues. An imbalance that is increasingly difficult to justify, considering the rising prices and over 40 percent unemployment in the country.

Several studies released to coincide with the Paris conference criticise the fact that two thirds of the aid still allegedly bypasses the Afghan government.

But the argument of many donor countries that they only want to entrust a small portion of their aid to the Afghan government out of fear of corruption is not particularly convincing.

"If only 25 percent of the funds are managed by the Karsai government," asks an international observer, "where does the corruption come from?"

Accountability – including from the donors

It is here that the Paris conference offers a chance for greater transparency. At last, as the final declaration sets out, the international players are also being called upon to provide full and serious accountability of their spending.

In the past year, for example, 400 euro was provided for every inhabitant of Kabul, in statistical terms; but the money trickled away into dark channels.

The newly agreed measures are designed to prevent this type of corruption in future. These include joint international and Afghan commissions to investigate and combat the lack of transparency.

In the eyes of President Karsai, it is the fault of the donor countries and the United Nations that many parallel structures are undermining the establishment of independent organisations. Karsai himself recently managed to fend off an overly powerful UN special representative at his side in Kabul.

Special anti-corruption unit

At the same time, his government has pledged to clean up its own act. Immediately after his return to Kabul, Karsai announced the formation of a special anti-corruption unit. According to surveys, public trust in a number of ministries involved in allocating aid is at its lowest point ever.

If Karsai has his way, the new five-year plan should make Afghanistan's agriculture self-sufficient in grain production by 2013. Even more: the plan aims to transform Afghanistan into an export nation. Critics consider this target, which is not contained in the final declaration, as ambitious as it is unrealistic.

Energy and education

In the energy sector, also given priority in the Paris declaration, the prospects look brighter. Afghanistan has reserves of oil, gas, coal and water, which are far from exhausted, Karsai pointed out in Paris. International experts see that the same way.

The aim here is to make these resources accessible to Afghan consumers in a precise and efficient effort. Another key topic is education, which Paris has rightly highlighted. To date, many qualified school-leavers are unable to study in Afghanistan.

It is still impossible to complete a Master's degree inside the country. And many of the new schools do not have enough teachers.

With 50 percent of the population aged under 18, this situation harbours a risk that those without perspectives will remain susceptible for political seduction and radicalism.

On the day after the Paris conference, Taliban fighters mounted an attack on the Kandahar central prison, freeing some 900 of their men in a spectacular coup.

This event symbolises that most of the targets agreed in Paris will remain mere noble ambitions if the government and the international community are unable to establish lasting law and order.

Martin Gerner

Translated from the German by Katy Derbyshire

Qantara.de

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