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Australia commits to increasing foreign aid to Afghanistan post 2012


At the NATO summit in Chicago, Australia’s prime minister, Julia Gillard, committed to increasing aid to Afghanistan from $165 million to $250 million by 2015-2016 – an increase of $85 million over three years (Canberra Times, May 21, 2012). The increase is in addition to the $300 million to support Afghanistan’s security forces. The agreement was signed before about 20 delegates, and the Afghan president, Hamid Karzai, on Sunday May 20, the first day of the NATO summit.

The memorandum of understanding indicated that Australia will work with Afghanistan to reduce the threat of terrorism, narcotics, and people smuggling; support Afghanistan’s security after 2014; support Afghanistan’s development through an increased aid program; encourage business and investment links; cooperate on migration issues; and preserve Afghanistan’s cultural heritage. A joint commission will be established to review the goals of the partnership on a regular basis.

After the deployment of foreign troops from Afghanistan in 2014, Australia will continue its involvement and engagement to ensure stability and development in the region. US President Barack Obama continued to press European governments to further support Afghanistan’s security over the next decade, following France’s newly elected president, Francois Hollande, adhering to his campaign pledge to withdraw French troops from Afghanistan by the end of this year, two years earlier than anticipated. Hollande said, of the 3,900 current French troops, a “few remaining troops” would continue training and equipping Afghan forces. The US also aims to withdraw 23,000 troops by the end of September, 2012, leaving 68,000 US troops.

The NATO summit in Chicago is primarily to discuss security issues in Afghanistan, as well as financial security in the Eurozone. Most countries, including America and Australia, have recently announced cost-cutting on defense spending, yet the main call for Afghanistan was to prevent a “rush to exit” before Afghan forces take over full security in 2014.  President Obama has estimated a need for US$4.1 billion a year to finance Afghanistan’s security forces after 2014, and is therefore keen for US allies to assist with funding. At the NATO summit, delegates expect to agree on a “smart defense” initiative for sharing technologies, weapon systems, intelligence, surveillance and cyber security.

Financing the stand-alone Afghan forces was the urgent topic of discussions at the NATO summit as Western allies start moving toward troop withdrawal over the next two years, after a decade of warfare – the longest combat operation in NATO’s history. Afghan soldiers and police officers total about 337,000 (March 2012) and are expected to increase to 352,000 by the end of the year. Coalition forces are expected to be about 230,000 after 2014.

Afghan’s Tolo TV announced in February 2012, citing the chief coordinator of United Nations humanitarian assistance, Manoj Basnyat, at the sixth Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) summit in Kabul, that the continuation of war had further exacerbated Afghanistan’s “situation.” Basnyat added that insecurity restricted humanitarian assistance. The US announced that it is committed to its humanitarian pledges in Afghanistan. Afghan’s Ministry of Health said that a rapid increase in population was a critical economic and social challenge for the country while resources, facilities and services will lag behind. Despite the billions of dollars in aid relief, Afghanistan remains among the poorest nations in the world.

Whereas the NATO summit focuses primarily on security, the 2012 G-20 heads of government summit in Los Cabos, Mexico, on June 18 and 19, is expected to focus on humanitarian issues. Pre-preparation meetings announced that the Mexico G-20 members can better represent developing countries in both vision and policy. Under the leadership of President Felipe Calderon, G-20 will seek to expand the scope of its development focus.
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