Steps Forward for Donor Coordination in Afghanistan

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 002140

DEPT FOR SRAP AND SCA/A
DEPT PASS FOR AID/ANE

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958 N/A
TAGS: EAID AF
SUBJECT: Steps Forward for Donor Coordination in Afghanistan


1. (SBU) SUMMARY: UNAMA and Embassy Kabul co-hosted a donor meeting
on July 22, 2009, to engage the international community on improving
development assistance coordination throughout Afghanistan.
Participants applauded U.S. efforts to "Afghanize" our assistance
programs, and cautioned against the dangers of U.S. or UNAMA
provincial offices becoming a "parallel government" that could
undermine indigenous Afghan institutions. The donor representatives
discussed the critical importance of developing local governance and
civil society, and agreed to encourage Afghan leadership of
international assistance and to renew efforts to coordinate
assistance programs. While the donor community is enthusiastic
about improving coordination, our most likely route for success will
be to take advantage of an existing forum, reinforced by bilateral
and small group work, under which this can happen effectively. END
SUMMARY.



2. (SBU) Representatives of Canada (CIDA),Germany, India, Japan
(JICA),the Netherlands, Norway, the UK (DFID),the Asian
Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank (WB) attended a joint
US-UNAMA hosted meeting on July 22, 2009 to discuss ways in which
the international community could improve donor coordination in
Afghanistan. UNAMA's Mark Ward and other participants welcomed
Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, the Coordinating Director for
Development and Economic Affairs, to Kabul and applauded his initial
efforts to coordinate programs within the USG. The U.S. Embassy
initiated the meeting to help energize Kabul-based coordination,
given the arrival of Embassy Kabul's new assistance team.


3. (SBU) Ambassador Wayne opened the discussion by noting the USG's
greater emphasis on "Afghanization" of U.S. foreign assistance, as
well as the importance of full transparency and accountability on
the part of the Afghan government. The Ambassador stated that the
USG plans to initiate a pilot program with the Ministry of Finance,
under which USAID will provide funding directly to the Afghan
government to hire technical advisors independently. He reiterated
U.S. support for the World Bank-managed Afghanistan Reconstruction
Trust Fund (ARTF) and for direct support for Afghan ministries (such
as through host-country contracting). USAID Mission Director
William Frej noted that USAID plans to assess the capabilities of
the Ministries of Education, Agriculture, and Rural Rehabilitation
and Development for potential consideration for additional
host-country contracts. Finally, Ambassador Wayne outlined the
Embassy's internal process on program coordination and solicited
participants' opinions of how and where the international community
should focus its attention to achieve more effective donor
coordination.


4. (SBU) UNAMA's Mark Ward said that UNAMA's capacity to coordinate
donors remained low, adding that UNAMA would focus its coordination
efforts on sectors and provinces where it could add the most value.
Ward stated that the Ministers of Health and Education "are in
charge" and that UNAMA consequently will not take a donor
coordination role in these sectors. Because of its twenty offices
in Afghanistan, Ward said that UNAMA could play a role in donor
coordination at the sub-national levels. He encouraged donors to
start their own formal and informal coordination groups, as needed,
to increase aid effectiveness, adding that they should "be brave"
and ded U.Sing is weak, a collection of one-off contributions." She
asserted that thematic groups were needed, suggesting that the
recent U.S. announcement of a women's grant program could stimulate
collaboration in this area.

-- (SBU) The group agreed that coordination worked well already in
certain sectors (including roads and irrigation),but that other
sectors (such as the justice sector) suffered from an uncoordinated
approach. The Norwegian representative noted that there was "no
structured forum for an overview of the highest priority sectors and
regions," while the German participant asserted that an inclusive
process was important for maintaining donor enthusiasm in all
sectors. Donor representatives committed to a renewed and inclusive
effort to energize the coordination process.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: The donor community recognized the need for
improved coordination and welcomed Ambassador Wayne's intent to
participate fully in the process. At the same time, there is some
"meeting fatigue" in Kabul. The most likely scenario for success
would take advantage of an existing framework and step up the
engagement in that forum, while building momentum and consensus with
bilateral or small group coordination among donors most committed to
a particular sector or theme. END COMMENT.

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-- (SBU) Donor participants emphasized the importance of donor
empowerment of the Afghan government, cautioning that the UN and
U.S. presences should not be, nor become perceived to be, a
"parallel government."

-- (SBU) The Canadian representative criticized the international
community's efforts to build Afghan civil society, commenting that
"programming is weak, a collection of one-off contributions." She
asserted that thematic groups were needed, suggesting that the
recent U.S. announcement of a women's grant program could stimulate
collaboration in this area.

-- (SBU) The group agreed that coordination worked well already in
certain sectors (including roads and irrigation),but that other
sectors (such as the justice sector) suffered from an uncoordinated
approach. The Norwegian representative noted that there was "no
structured forum for an overview of the highest priority sectors and
regions," while the German participant asserted that an inclusive
process was important for maintaining donor enthusiasm in all
sectors. Donor representatives committed to a renewed and inclusive
effort to energize the coordination process.


6. (SBU) COMMENT: The donor community recognized the need for
improved coordination and welcomed Ambassador Wayne's intent to
participate fully in the process. At the same time, there is some
"meeting fatigue" in Kabul. The most likely scenario for success
would take advantage of an existing framework and step up the
engagement in that forum, while building momentum and consensus with
bilateral or small group coordination among donors most committed to
a particular sector or theme. END COMMENT.

EIKENBERRY