Advanced search
image
Global issues
   

Our political strategy for Afghanistan


An inclusive political settlement

Neither the international community nor the Afghan Government will succeed in bringing sustainable security to Afghanistan by military means alone. A political process, culminating in a sustainable settlement is vital for lasting peace in Afghanistan.


An Afghan-led process

This is an Afghan-led process and President Karzai has already begun taking steps towards achieving a political settlement through the establishment of the High Peace Council. This process offers the opportunity to all those willing to build a better future for their country.

President Karzai has clearly set out his conditions for concluding negotiations: the Taliban must renounce Al Qaeda; give up armed violence; and respect the Afghan Constitution. In order for a political settlement to be durable, it must be inclusive and respect the interests and rights of all Afghan citizens.


Reintegrating insurgents into Afghan society

The Afghan Government published its Peace and Reintegration Programme in July 2010. This programme aims to reintegrate former insurgents back into mainstream society through the provision of opportunities such as vocational training programmes and cash for work schemes. The programme is now being implemented in provinces across Afghanistan with the full support of the international community. The UK contributed £5million to an international trust fund to help finance this process, alongside donations from Japan, Germany, the Republic of Korea and others. 

Better governance

A political settlement can only succeed if it is underpinned by effective, inclusive and democratic governance. We are working with the Afghan government as it seeks to reinforce democratic processes, improve service delivery and reduce corruption.   

The Kabul Process

At the London Conference on 28 January 2010 and the Kabul Conference on 20 July 2010, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community came together to fully align military and civilian resources behind an Afghan-led political strategy for achieving peace and security, now known as the Kabul Process. The process aims to accelerate Afghanistan’s ability to govern itself, to reduce dependence on the international community, to enhance Afghanistan’s security forces and to provide better protection for the rights of all its citizens. As part of this process, the international community committed to channelling at least 50% of development aid through the Afghan Government’s core budget within two years.


British support for the Afghan Government

The UK is supporting the Afghan Government with both financial and technical assistance, as it works to meet the commitments it made at the Kabul Conference. The UK’s Department for International Development supports work in three key areas: improving security and political stability; stimulating the economy; and helping the Afghan Government deliver vital basic services.

Our support has helped the Afghan Revenue Department to increase tax revenue from $200 million in 2004 to almost $1.3 billion in 2009/10; helped finance the salaries of almost 320,000 public servants (teachers and health workers); and enabled over 25,000 Community Development Councils to create 55,000 locally-generated projects to improve water, roads, health and education.


UN support for Afghanistan

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) is an international political mission established at the request of the Afghan Government to assist it and the people of Afghanistan in laying the foundations for sustainable peace and development. On 22 March 2011, the UN Security Council unanimously renewed UNAMA’s mandate until March 2012.

Strengthening democracy

Credible and inclusive elections are central to the process of building a secure and democratic Afghanistan.

We worked with the international community to support the Afghan electoral authorities for both the 2009 Presidential elections and the 2010 Parliamentary elections. Between 2009 and 2011, the UK contributed $28.5 million to the UN Development Programme’s “Enhancing Legal and Electoral Capacity for Tomorrow” project, which provides technical support for Afghan electoral institutions. 



The UK is also firmly committed to supporting Afghan democratic institutions. We are working with the Afghan Parliament. We provide targeted capacity-building programmes for Afghan MPs, Senators and for political party organisers. These are designed to strengthen Parliament and give its members the skills and expertise they need to represent the voices of their constituents and play a full and prominent role in the political and legislative process.  

Upholding human rights and women’s rights in Afghanistan

Afghanistan is a conservative country with strong religious and cultural traditions that are sometimes at odds with international human rights norms. Despite this, progress continues to be made on improving human rights in Afghanistan.


Clear commitments by the Afghan Government

We work closely with our international partners to support the Afghan Government as it works to implement the commitments to human rights and women’s rights that it made at the London and Kabul conferences. These include the development of a National Priority Programme for Human Rights and Civic Responsibilities, the implementation of a National Action Plan for Women and the law on elimination of violence against women.


Improving the status of women in Afghanistan

We are working with Afghan women’s rights advocates to improve the status of women in Afghanistan, who continue to suffer from high illiteracy rates, domestic violence, forced marriages, poor access to health care and lack of livelihoods.

Encouraging progress has been made: female candidates won 69 seats in the September 2010 Parliamentary elections, breaking through the constitutional quota of 68, and women also hold nine seats on the High Peace Council, with at least one woman sitting on each subcommittee. 


Our National Action Plan on UN Resolution 1325

The UK’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security includes a country action plan for Afghanistan. This sets out how we will implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace and Security with the aim of reducing the impact of conflict on women and girls and promoting their inclusion in conflict resolution.

We undertook a review of our National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security at the end of 2011.  The revised plan was laid in Parliament on 28 February 2012.  The updated country action plan includes our activities to support Afghan women’s empowerment in areas such as education, economic opportunities and participation in public life.

Additional details of our work improving human and women’s rights in Afghanistan can be found in the Foreign Office’s 2012 Human Rights and Democracy Report, the UK Parliament’s Gender Action Plan on Peace and Security or on the British Embassy in Afghanistan’s website.

The UK’s long term commitment to Afghanistan

While UK forces will cease combat operations in Afghanistan by 2015, we are fully committed to supporting Afghanistan in the long term.  A stable and secure Afghanistan capable of maintaining its own security is vital to our own national security.

During a joint press conference with President Karzai in March 2011 the Prime Minister stated:

"Beyond 2015 Britain and Afghanistan will continue to have a very strong relationship. This will be a relationship based on diplomacy, on trade, on aid, on development, on military training, above all on friendship, because Britain is an all-weather friend, not a fair-weather friend to Afghanistan."

The Enduring Strategic Partnership document between the UK and Afghanistan was signed by the Prime Minister and President Karzai on 28 January 2012.  This reaffirms both governments’ commitment to long term partnership, friendship and ongoing cooperation.