July 7-9 Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan

Building on the decisions made in Bonn and Chicago, as well as the U.S.-Afghanistan Strategic Partnership Agreement, the United States joined over 70 partners in Tokyo to underline our continuing support for Afghanistan’s efforts to strengthen itself and provide a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous future for its people through the conclusion of the security transition in 2014 and into the Transformation Decade.

Today, the international community and Afghanistan agreed to a different kind of partnership built on the principles of mutual accountability. In the Tokyo Framework, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community agreed to a list of priority reforms, on important steps to improve the effectiveness of international assistance, and how we will collectively review progress moving forward.

The international community made clear its intent to support Afghanistan, while recognizing that sustained financial support is only possible, and only responsible, if Afghanistan successfully implements its program of necessary governance and economic reforms and maintains a political system that reflects its pluralistic society, including the equality of men and women, and remains firmly founded in the Afghan Constitution.

Japan has calculated that $16 billion is available from the international community for Afghanistan’s development over the next four years, enough to meet the World Bank’s estimated requirements, just as Chicago met the security requirements. Secretary Clinton announced the United States’ intention to seek sustained levels of economic assistance for Afghanistan through 2017 at or near the levels the U.S. has provided over the past decade.

Based on Afghanistan’s efforts to become self-reliant, particularly reforms to facilitate private sector investment and regional integration along the New Silk Road, Afghanistan’s need for foreign assistance will continue to decline over the course of the decade. The international community agreed to put an increased share of resources through incentivized programs that link disbursement of on-budget assistance to specific reforms.

The Tokyo Conference highlighted the critical role of Afghan civil society in advocating for and supporting human rights, good governance and sustainable social, economic and democratic development of Afghanistan.

Sustaining Gains of the Last Ten Years

Education:

• Since 2006, the U.S. has funded $316 million in education initiatives, increasing the number of teachers from 20,000 in 2002 to over 175,000 today, 30 percent of whom are women.
• In 2002, an estimated 900,000 boys were in school and virtually no girls. Now there are 8 million students enrolled in school, with nearly 40 percent girls.

Health:

• Since 2006, the U.S. has invested nearly $643 million in healthcare initiatives, training over 22,000 healthcare workers.
• Life expectancy has increased by 15 years from 44 years to over 60 for men and women.
• Access to basic health services (ability to reach a facility within one hour by foot) has risen from 9 percent in 2001 to more than 60 percent today.

Economic Infrastructure:

• Since 2006, the U.S. has funded $1.6 billion in infrastructure projects and $386 million in agriculture development.
• · In 2002, only 6 percent of Afghans had access to reliable electricity. Today 18 percent do, and more than 2 million people in Kabul now benefit from electric power 24 hours a day.
• In 2001, there was one mobile phone company with 21,000 subscribers. Today there are four companies with more than 16 million subscribers, some offering 3G service.
• In 2001, there were few paved roads. Today there are over 2,000 km. of paved roads, giving roughly 80 percent of the population greater access to markets, schools, clinics, and government services.
• Since 2009, we have expanded licit agricultural cultivation by 236,000 hectares, creating 174,000 full time equivalent jobs. The estimated Afghan GDP in 2010 was $15.9 billion, a growth of more than four times higher than in 2002 and represents more than 9 percent per year average increase.

Government Revenue:

• Afghan government revenues have grown strongly since 2002, averaging almost a 20 percent increase per year. In 2011, domestic revenue reached an historic high of $1.7 billion or 11 percent of GDP, exceeding the IMF target of 9.2 percent per year.
• DABS, Afghanistan’s national power company, increased revenues from $39 million to $159 million.

Democracy and Governance:

• Since 2006, the U.S. has funded $1.8 billion in rule of law and counternarcotics programs.
• The Justice Sector Support Program (JSSP) has trained over 14,000 Afghan investigators, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and judges since the program began in 2004.
• Twenty seven percent of seats in the Parliament, one governor, three cabinet, and 120 judicial positions are now held by women,
• In 2001, there was one state-owned radio and television station. Now there are over 75 television stations and 175 radio stations, with all but two privately owned.
• The Afghan constitution enshrines the rights of all Afghans, including women and minorities