JCMB-X ACCOMPLISHES LITTLE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KABUL 003206 DEPT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/RA, AND SCA/A DEPT PASS AID/ANE DEPT PASS USTR FOR GERBER AND KLEIN DEPT PASS OPIC FOR ZAHNISER DEPT PASS TDA FOR STEIN AND GREENIP USOECD FOR ENERGY ATTACHE CENTCOM FOR CSTC-A NSC FOR JWOOD TREASURY FOR LMCDONALD, ABAUKOL, BDAHL, AND MNUGENT OSD FOR SHIVERS COMMERCE FOR DEES, CHOPPIN, AND FONOVICH SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL EAGR AF SUBJECT: JCMB-X ACCOMPLISHES LITTLE ¶1. (SBU) Summary. JCMB-X succeeded mainly in referring several agenda items to subsidiary bodies for further review. Members agreed to pass to a working group a UK-designed proposal to replace the Counter-Narcotics Trust Fund with a body that looks to Post too much like the CNTF. The International Police Coordination Board will take up the Interior Minister's proposed priorities for police reform and then pass the matter to the Security Standing Committee for decision. A task force under the Governance Standing Committee will consider IDLG's proposal for a "basket funding" mechanism for sub-national governance programs. JCMB members received GIRoA progress reports on the security situation, counter-narcotics, anti-corruption, senior appointments, and UNAMA's efforts to strengthen donor coordination and aid effectiveness. Though not discussed at length, the GIRoA urged donors to provide more food aid to avoid starvation this winter. End Summary ¶2. (U) The tenth meeting of the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board took place November 30 in Kabul, co-chaired by Afghan Senior Minister Arsala and UN SRSG Kai Eide. The U.S. was represented by Charg d'Affaires Dell. Arsala began the meeting by urging donors to provide more food aid to avoid starvation this winter. He noted that only about one-third of the amount requested in the July emergency appeal has so far been pledged. (Note: Most of this has been provided by the US.) SUCCESSOR TO THE COUNTER-NARCOTICS TRUST FUND ¶3. (SBU) Minister of Agriculture Rahimi submitted a concept paper on replacing the ailing Counter-Narcotics Trust Fund (CNTF) with a program entitled "Sustainable Reduction in Poppy" (SRP). The program, designed by the British government, aims to facilitate the flow of donor funds to counternarcotics-related projects at the district level. The SRP fund would be administered by the Ministry of Finance instead of the United Nations Development Program and would direct money through a special account for CN projects approved by the donor community. ¶4. (SBU) CDA Dell and the European Commission (EC) representative voiced skepticism about the new program for being too similar to the CNTF and for reducing the ability of the Ministry of Counternarcotics (MCN) to take the lead in administering CN projects through the US- and UK-funded Good Performers Initiative (GPI). The US wants all CN donor contributions to be channeled through the GPI and has lobbied the international community (IC) to support it. JCMB members agreed to review the SRP proposal in a working group comprising interested donors and three ministries (Agriculture, Counternarcotics, and Rural Development),which would make a recommendation to a JCMB Standing Committee. Co-chair Eide appealed for an early decision. SECURITY ¶5. (SBU) Defense Minister Wardak briefed on the security situation. He said the enemy was better resourced this year than in the past, NATO and ANSF forces were stretched to their limits, and the enemy may launch "spectacular attacks" this winter. Wardak thanked the JCMB for agreeing to expand the ANA at its last meeting and urged funding of sustainment costs. He called for transferring more leadership to ANA, as has been done in Kabul, urged NATO to do more on CN, and pledged that ANSF will support the task of providing security for elections next year. MOI AND POLICE REFORM ¶6. (SBU) Interior Minister Atmar presented his six strategic priorities for immediate action on police reform: 1) accelerate and expand Focused District Development and other existing programs; 2) KABUL 00003206 002 OF 003 implement a comprehensive MOI anti-corruption plan; 3) reinforce intelligence and investigative capacity to curb organized crime, reduce civilian and police casualties, and support counter-terrorism and counter-insurgency campaigns; 4) enlarge the tashkil (approved police payroll),especially for medium- and high-risk districts; 5) improve security in principal cities and along highways; and 6) ensure security for free, fair and transparent elections in 2009. Atmar also described internal reforms he is implementing to reduce corruption, including requiring senior officials to complete financial disclosure statements. MOI officials suspected of anti-corruption activities will be terminated and prosecuted, he said. ¶7. (SBU) Atmar emphasized his desire to work in consultation with the international community on the basis of mutual accountability. SRSG Eide urged members to discuss Atmar's paper in the International Police Coordination Board (IPCB) with a view to supporting his proposals. Most donors endorsed Atmar's initiatives and expressed confidence that they would increase their financial support. The EC rep expressed an institutional concern, namely that the paper could be discussed at the IPCB but important decisions -- including increasing the tashkil, establishing a public guard force, and CN plans impacting the balance and architecture of the ANP -- should only be taken in the JCMB. SUB-NATIONAL GOVERNANCE ¶8. (SBU) Head of the Independent Directorate for Local Governance (IDLG) Popal presented a proposal for improving coordination of funding of IDLG's programs to strengthen sub-national governance (SNG). He said IDLG manages several programs, but funding has been fragmentary as individual donors support individual programs through various channels, resulting in uneven support among regions and heavy demands on IDLG to manage multiple funding streams. Popal proposed a "basket funding" approach whereby IDLG programs would be supported through the national budget, UNDP's Afghanistan Sub-National Governance Program, or the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund. He asked that a task force under the JCMB Governance Standing Committee take up the issue. ¶9. (SBU) Donors, including the US, endorsed the task force but expressed strong reservations about putting all streams of funding for SNG programs into one basket. Arsala confirmed that the task force will discuss which programs might be funded through a basket approach and then the Standing Committee or full JCMB will take decisions. COUNTER-NARCOTICS ¶10. (SBU) The Minister of Counternarcotics, Gen. Khodaidad, presented an overview of CN successes in 2008 and stated that much still needs to be done to lower the amount of poppy cultivation and opium production in Afghanistan. Khodaidad said poppy cultivation in 2008 declined 19 percent compared with last year, the number of poppy-free provinces rose from 13 to 18, the number of households involved in poppy cultivation dropped by 28 percent, and that seven provinces now produce 98 percent of the poppy in the country. He said the GIRoA still needed to aggressively pursue major narcotics traffickers and that all ministries and levels of government must work together to fight poppy cultivation. The ISAF rep stated that ISAF is implementing the NATO Budapest decision on use of military forces in CN. He said ISAF will only act in coordination with GIRoA and when there is a clear linkage between narcotics and the insurgency. ANTI-CORRUPTION KABUL 00003206 003 OF 003 ¶11. (SBU) Head of the High Office for Oversight for Anti-Corruption (HOO) Osmani reported on progress in the three months since his office was created. He discussed the need to partner with other Afghan agencies and take advantage of the anti-corruption mood by developing a comprehensive public education campaign. He said that raising standards of integrity requires a long-term effort and ownership by the Afghan people. HOO would lead but not command, and would hold itself to the highest standards while connecting to the wider IC. UN SRSG Eide commended HOO on its rapid progress in getting started. The World Bank rep commented that other short-term action was needed to show the HOO commitment, including follow-up on important audits of government agencies conducted in recent years and implementation of the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative. SENIOR APPOINTMENTS ¶12. (U) Senior Appointments Panel member Ms. Sabri described the activities of the panel over the past two years. The paper she read from has been emailed to SCA/A. AID EFFECTIVENESS AND DONOR COORDINATION ¶13. (SBU) UNAMA Aid Effectiveness Unit chief (and USAID secondee) Mark Ward briefed on his efforts to strengthen UNAMA's role in aligning donors' support of the ANDS. He said UNAMA would launch donor coordination initiatives in five areas initially: agriculture, private sector development, capacity building, education/vocational training, and electricity. UNAMA and the GIRoA would be calling donor meetings in these sectors to develop plans. On aid effectiveness Ward urged donors to increase procurement of Afghan goods and services in their assistance programs. Greater local procurement, he said, would drive quality and safety improvements of Afghan products and help develop the Afghan private sector. WOOD