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Intervention by the Netherlands, delivered by the Minister for

Development Cooperation, Bert Koenders, at the ‘International

Conference on Afghanistan: a Comprehensive Strategy in a Regional

Context’, The Hague, 31 March 2009

Mr. President, Mr. Secretary General, your Excellencies, ladies and
gentlemen,

Today we reassess the contract between Afghanistan and the

international community, and reaffirm the central role of the

Government of Afghanistan - in close cooperation with UNAMA – in
ensuring a more coherent and efficient international engagement, on the
basis of equitable burden sharing. That is now of major importance, 8
years after the liberation of Afghanistan from terror and oppression.

In recent years many solid foundations for sustainable development have
been laid. In Uruzgan, for example – the province where the
Netherlands, supported by our good friends the  Australians, is
currently involved on the basis of a successful 3D approach – the
number of children attending school has risen from 12,000 to 50,000, and
one hundred new health centres have been built. Agricultural- and
private sector development are taking off.

The challenge is now to build on these results by increasing and

improving our efforts. More than before we need to look beyond

provincial borders, and promote confidence-building measures with
neighbouring countries. Effective coordination is key, we therefore
firmly support UNAMA and you Kai, in coordinating cooperation and
forging unity.

We welcome the shifting of the role of the international community from
an implementing to a supporting presence. Afghanistan’s future should
be based on Afghan ownership and national reconstruction. This cannot be
stressed enough.

We need to shape the process of increasing civilian input further. The
Netherlands is already working in this direction: our Provincial
Reconstruction Team in Uruzgan is now under civilian leadership, and the
‘Afghanisation’ of our efforts is under way.

What we need now is a ‘civilian surge’, a better balance between our
military efforts and effective development cooperation. This is more
important than ever. Transparent elections, strengthening
Afghanistan’s national and local government institutions, stepping up
the fight against corruption, improving the human rights situation and
transitional justice and focusing more effectively on the position of
women, and promoting development and the private sector are key
components of this surge. Reconciliation and dialogue are also crucial,
as is support to a vibrant civil society. Let us never forget in these
meeting the Afghan people themselves.

This process needs to be matched – at the very least – by capacity
building within the Afghan authorities. Governance, the army, the police
and the judicial sector need to be strengthened. The trust and
confidence of the people are essential to the development process and
are at stake here.

Far-reaching reforms are needed to inspires that trust at every level.
For its part the international community, supported by UNAMA, should
reduce overlap, and endeavour to respect and work in harmony with Afghan
reality.

Ladies and gentlemen,

This conference is a significant step towards a new deal between the
international community and Afghanistan. Let me assure you once again
that the Netherlands intends to fulfil the promises it has made to the
Afghan people. I thank you all for coming to the Netherlands.

Thank you very much.

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