§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for International Development what efforts the Government are making to assist in the process of having open and democratic elections in Afghanistan in December 2003. [84201]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI have been asked to reply.
The UK is working closely with the Transitional Authority, the UN and international partners to secure the full implementation of the 2001 Bonn Agreement, the framework within which elections in 2004 will take place. Our focus is on working to ensure the elections take place in a context of stability—political, economic and security.
We are in continual dialogue with the Transitional Authority, supporting its efforts to rebuild the mechanisms of government. We contributed £1 million to the office of the UN Special Representative to assist with their work developing a political framework and £1 million to the Afghan Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank to assist them with capacity building and restructuring. The UK has earmarked a further £1 million for the development of an independent judicial system.
The UK has pledged £200 million over the next five years for both reconstruction and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan and is also contributing 19 per cent. of the European Commission's €1 billion assistance package over the same period. Our contribution of £13 million, last week, helped Afghanistan clear its debt arrears to international financial institutions and enabled the Afghan Transitional Authority to access an Asian Development Bank concessional loan of £100 million to support the reconstruction effort.
The UK led the multi-national ISAF, authorised by the United Nations Security Council, from December 2001 until June 2002.
342WSecurity Sector Reform (SSR) is the best way of extending the ISAF effect outside Kabul. The U K has committed £22 million for SSR including support for the Office of the National Security Adviser.