International DevelopmentFurther written evidence submitted by DFiD
On Tuesday 10 July I presented evidence to the International Development Committee on the Future of Afghanistan. I am writing to provide more information in response to questions from Mr Richard Burden MP.
Firstly, I said I would write to you about the secret report on Highway 1 project mentioned in the Independent on Sunday article by Brady and Owen (8 July), and the point Mr Burden raised in the context of this article about aid programmes not following a development agenda. I cannot comment on the specifics of the US-led Highway 1 project but can confirm that neither I nor my officials are aware of any secret report on the matter.
Secondly, in relation to Mr Burden’s point about aid programmes and projects not following a development agenda, I confirm that all of DFID’s funding adheres to the OECD Development Assistance Committee definition of what counts as aid. Our programme has always had poverty reduction at the heart of its work in Afghanistan: specifically the creation of jobs and economic growth; helping the government to deliver basic services; and better governance.
The publication “Winning Hearts and Minds” referred to by the Committee explored the relationships between the Provincial Reconstruction Team and aid projects delivered by the military from 2006–08. This report was useful as it helped to ensure the lessons from that period were retained. However, it does not reflect our current approach to combine defence, diplomacy and development work in Afghanistan.
I can categorically state that the Department for International Development (DFID) is not a “poor relative” in Afghanistan. The UK Government recognises that military means, although essential, are not enough on their own to meet Afghanistan’s many complex challenges. Political progress, alongside governance and development, is also needed to address the underlying causes of the insurgency. But these cannot take place in the absence of security.
An integrated approach is required to achieve a common goal; a safe and secure Afghanistan. Under this framework, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and DFID all have an equal voice in the development and delivery of policy, in London through the National Security Council (NSC), and in Kabul through the British Embassy’s Afghanistan Delivery Group. The NSC’s strategy for Afghanistan sets out three broad objectives for Afghanistan: progress towards a political settlement (led by FCO); effective military transition (MoD); and the development of a viable Afghan state (DFID). These three pillars guide the UK mission in Afghanistan up to 2015.
DFID’s role in the cross-departmental management of the Conflict Pool and the Stabilisation Unit, along with the FCO and MoD, further demonstrates the equal value placed on development, diplomacy and defence. The creation of the Stabilisation Unit—and the cooperation this fostered—soon saw the Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) mentioned in “Hearts and Minds” fall from favour as the need for sustainable stabilisation efforts as a basis for long term development and local political progress was increasingly recognised.
The importance of the governance and development agenda to Afghanistan’s future was also highlighted at the Tokyo development conference on 8 July. DFID played a leading role across the UK Government and globally to secure $16 billion to meet Afghanistan’s development needs up to 2015.
September 2012