Foreign partners pledge ‘conditions-based’ support to Afghanistan

Addressing delegates at the key donor pledging conference in Geneva on Tuesday, the European Union’s (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for an immediate ceasefire in Afghanistan and said that any move to set up an Islamic Emirate would affect the bloc’s support.

Borrell told delegates at the pledging conference: “A ceasefire should not be an outcome of the (peace) process, it should accompany the process from today…Any attempt to restore an Islamic Emirate would have an impact on our political and financial engagement.”

Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jutta Urpilainen, who announced the EU’s pledge at the conference, said: “A pledge of €1.2 billion (US$1.4 billion) for the next four years illustrates our commitment to the Afghan people. Our assistance will support the Afghan authorities’ agenda for democratic, sustainable development and modernisation, helping to lift people out of poverty, improve governance, reduce corruption and enhance the daily lives of the Afghan people.”

In a statement issued by the EU after the announcement, the bloc said: “The EU’s support to Afghanistan is conditional upon an inclusive, Afghan-owned, Afghan-led peace process that builds on the political and social achievements of the last 19 years.”

The EU was not however alone in its conditions-based approach as many other countries echoed these words.

Top of the list among a number of conditions was that of women’s rights and most donors pledged support on condition that women’s voices continued to be heard, that women form a key component to the peace process and that their rights are preserved.

Reuters meanwhile reported that uncertainty over whether compromises needed for peace might lead to backsliding on human and women’s rights, has made some countries wary about making long-term commitments to an Afghan administration – which needs foreign money to cover about three-quarters of its spending.

Some diplomats said that keeping a tight rein on funding could provide foreign governments with some leverage to inject a greater sense of urgency into the peace process.

Also, most governments are under intense pressure to make savings as they ramp up spending to help their own economies recover from the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, diplomats told Reuters.

Countries pledged billions of dollars on Tuesday in addition to the EU’s 1.2 billion euros ($1.43 billion).

According to Shamroz Khan Masjidi, spokesman for the Ministry of Finance, Afghanistan’s foreign partners pledged a total of US$6 billion for development over the next four years.