Dansk strategi har ført til langsigtet udvikling

Af Manizha Bakhtari
Ambassadør ved den Afghanske ambassade for de Nordiske Lande

May I begin by presenting the gratitude of the Afghan people and the government of Afghanistan to Denmark’s government and people, who have given us support and partnership through a difficult journey for Afghanistan to achieve peace, prosperity and democracy.

I appreciate your kindness, your generosity and your steadfast support to Afghanistan over the past 11 years. In particular, I pay tribute to the memories of those Danish soldiers who have paid the ultimate price while serving in Afghanistan. We will always honour their memory.  

With the help and support of the international community, Afghanistan has started its long and difficult journey to build almost everything from scratch. Denmark is one of those countries, which support my country with military assistance and development aid projects.

Small steps in the right direction
All projects have brought big changes to the country from the numbers of students going to school, to access to basic health and a dramatic increase of Afghanistan’s GDP.

In the course of the last 11 years, the percentage of access to basic health services has risen from 9 percent to 85 percent. The number of students had grown from only male students in 2001 to nearly nine million male and female students in 2013.

Not all of the developments achieved so far in Afghanistan comply with European standards but for the Afghan people who survived the darkness of life, means a lot.

Manizha Bakhtari
Ambassadør, den Afghanske ambassade for de Nordiske Lande

In 2001, there were only 4000 students at four universities, whereas there are now more than 90000 at 22 universities.  For the first time in many years, new opportunities have been created for women to reclaim their rights as active participants in the governance, as well as rehabilitation and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

But why have these changes not been seen well in international media and in the eyes of the world’s citizens? To answer this significant question, I must say that Afghanistan is a war-torn country, and through a 35-year war lost its entire infrastructure. Then, there are different standards to measure the development in a country. Not all of the developments achieved so far in Afghanistan comply with European standards but for the Afghan people who survived the darkness of life, means a lot.

From my point of view Denmark has a correct and well-designed strategy in Afghanistan. Focusing on education, health, microfinance, anti-narcotics, awareness and capacity building, rural development and national solidarity program has led the country to a long-term prosperity and development. Providing education and study material is essential for Afghan children to acquire their abilities and be competent in this global world.

I emphasize that development is possible in the present circumstances. Although we face many obstacles and problems, in the course of time we will manage to overcome them and turn the page.

To ensure against corruption
When it comes to the effective use of aid, I must say that there are several mechanisms to make sure that the projects are going into the right direction in Afghanistan. I underline a few:

1. Designing the project according to needs and priorities. If the project does not meet the priorities of the Afghan people and the Afghan government, it may not help Afghanistan develop.
2. Appointing qualified personnel to implement the project. Several projects had been proceeding into wrong directions since staff members were not qualified.
3. Monitoring and controlling the projects by Denmark assures the Danish people that every project goes according to plan and to the right direction. If there is any mistake or if the project goes astray, the project can and should be revised.
4. Reviewing all projects, which have been implemented so far by Danish experts based on lessons learned in the field, will satisfy Danish public opinion that even one single DKK and one act can make the difference in Afghanistan.
5. The government of Afghanistan and the Kingdom of Denmark recently signed the Strategic Partnership Agreement, which assures mutual cooperation and understanding. According to this agreement, Afghanistan is committed to fighting corruption and to eliminating it entirely. Further, it ensures that aids are used effectively and properly.
   

No magic solution
I am aware that there are concerns about a post-2014 Afghanistan and how development aids will proceed. The government of Afghanistan is fully aware of its responsibility to take the leadership and ownership of the country in many ways.

Accordingly, it is the Afghan security forces that bear the responsibility of security and defend the country now. Many steps are being considered in order to achieve goals and objectives after the international community’s withdrawal and after the presidential election in 2014.

Let me say that, of course, we do not have a magic solution to build Afghanistan in short time and to overcome all stigmas. But we have developed so well so far with the generous support of the international community including Denmark.