US-JAPAN WORK TO ADVANCE COOPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 000470 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958 N/A TAGS: EAID ECON PGOV AF SUBJECT: US-JAPAN WORK TO ADVANCE COOPERATION IN AFGHANISTAN KABUL 00000470 001.2 OF 002 ¶1. (U) Summary: Ambassador Wayne, USAID Mission Director Frej, and Embassy representatives met with Japanese Ambassador Shigeyuki Hiroki and his team on February 4 to solicit views on how Japan plans to disburse $5 billion in assistance to Afghanistan over the next five years. Ambassador Wayne encouraged a regular dialogue between our missions. All agreed that good areas for possible US-Japan cooperation include: assistance for Kabul city (in preparation for the upcoming Kabul conference as well as the longer-term),police training, infrastructure, reintegration, agriculture, education and health. Ambassador Hiroki noted Japan's broad plan for spending an initial tranche of $500 million to be disbursed over the next three months, which will be largely spent through UN agencies and focus on three main areas: 1) enhancing Afghanistan's capability to maintain security; 2) assistance for reintegration of grass root level soldiers; and 3) assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and self-reliant development. End Summary. -------------- BACKGROUND: JAPAN'S ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN -------------- ¶2. (U) Since 2002, Japan has hosted five international conferences in Tokyo in support of Afghanistan reconstruction and assistance, supported counter-terrorism maritime interdiction activities (replenishment support to vessels),provided civilian assistance (130 Japanese civilians based in Afghanistan as of November 2009) and implemented more than $1.8 billion in development assistance. Japan's development assistance to Afghanistan has centered on democratic processes, security improvement, human resources development, economic infrastructure and humanitarian assistance, including for Kabul city. On November 10, 2009 (just prior to President Obama's Tokyo trip),Japan pledged $5 billion in assistance to Afghanistan over the next five years (also pledging $2 billion in assistance for neighboring Pakistan). The pledge catapults Japan to the number two provider of donor assistance in Afghanistan behind the U.S. -------------- AREAS OF US-JAPAN COOPERATION -------------- ¶3. (U) Ambassador Wayne outlined key areas of possible U.S-Japan assistance cooperation in Afghanistan including assistance to Kabul city, police training, infrastructure, reintegration, agriculture, education and health, and narcotics prevention and treatment. In preparation for the Spring Kabul conference, USAID Mission Director Frej highlighted the need to work with Japan and other donors to identify measures we can take quickly to help improve life in existing Kabul, indicating that Ambassador Eikenberry will in the near future host a meeting with Afghan and Kabul government officials and key donors such as Japan, World Bank, Germany and Turkey to discuss priorities and possible donor cooperation. Ambassador Hiroki and his team explained that they have been exploring Kabul's needs, and shared with us an assessment that among other things showed that the city will run out of water at current population growth rates unless it spans out to the north. ¶4. (U) The U.S. delegation commended Japan's support to the UNDP-managed Law and Order Trust Fund for Afghanistan (LOTFA) to cover police salaries. International Narcotics and Law Enforcement (INL) Director Drew Quinn stressed it is important that Japan and other donors coordinate with NATO Training Mission Afghanistan (NTM-A),the Ministry of Interior (MOI),and other police coordination bodies to avoid duplication and to ensure sustainability. ¶5. (U) In terms of infrastructure, Ambassador Wayne's suggestion that Japan support the $200 million plus needed for asphalting the East-West Highway form Herat to Salma Dam to Chaghcharan as part of a consortium of donors, was well-received by Ambassador Hiroki. Hiroki also agreed that Japan would consider supporting construction of the entire highway as the Government's plans evolve (septel). (NB: Embassy Kabul will ensure Japan remains informed of GIRoA's meetings and plans for the highway.) Both Ambassador Wayne and USAID Mission Director Frej also encouraged coordination in the health, education (including higher education) and agriculture sectors, requesting Japan to do more. In the area of education, Ambassador Hiroki mentioned that he received a call from Education Minister Wardak requesting Japan support, following Ambassador Eikenberry's meeting with the Minister. Director Frej encouraged Japanese participation in the Minister's upcoming donor meetings. In the area of health, Ambassador Hiroki noted Japan's interest in military hospitals, preventing and treating tuberculosis, and midwifery training. In terms of agriculture, the Japan delegation noted its interest in research, specifically related to soy (in the north) and rice (in Nangahar Province). -------------- $500 MILLION IN THREE MONTHS -------------- KABUL 00000470 002.4 OF 002 ¶6. (U) In Ambassador Hiroki shared Japan's broad plan under its $5 billion pledge, sharing their very UN-heavy spending plan (an initial tranche of approximately $500 million to be disbursed over the next three months),which will be focused in three main areas: 1) support in enhancing Afghanistan's capability to maintain security; 2) assistance for reintegration of grass root level soldiers; and 3) assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and self-reliant development. Pillar I: Assistance to enhance Afghanistan's capability to maintain security -- UNDP/Law and Order Trust Fund (LOTFA): Payment for police force remuneration, support to Afghan National Police (ANP) infrastructure (i.e. construction of training center in Ghor and support to drug rehabilitation center in Kabul),Support to financial and management capacity at the Ministry of Interior: $180 million. -- UNODC: Border control, capacity building of the justice sector, measures for drug addicts, alternative livelihood, etc.: $7 million. Pillar II: Assistance for reintegration of grass root level soldiers -- UN-Habitat: National Solidarity Program (NSP) support to form clusters, irrigation, micro-hydro, wells, community roads, job training, etc.: $31 million. -- UNDP: ANBP: Recovery of ammunitions, community development, capacity building of DIAG unit, management of database, etc.: $5 million. -- UNDP: National Area-Based Development Program (NABDP); capacity building of Community Development Councils (CDCs),irrigation, micro-hydro, wells, community roads, etc. :$10 million. -- World Food Program (WFP): Food for work, education, etc. $53.8 million. Pillar III: Assistance for Afghanistan's sustainable and self-reliant development Implementer Project Amount (US$ million) UNHCR Support for Refugees 22.8 UNMAS De-mining 12.8 UNICEF Water Sanitation, nutrition, Education 26.5 IOM Support for IDPs 6.1 UNOCHA Humanitarian Assistance Coordination 1.5 IFRC Support for Disaster Prevention 0.7 ICRC Support for supply of Water and medicine 16.9 UNDP ELECT 35.6 UNV ELECT 0.4 WFP UNHAS 3.0 NATO ANA Trust Fund 11.5 ¶7. (SBU) COMMENT: As the second largest donor to Afghanistan, Japan can make a big impact in key areas such as Kabul City assistance, higher education, and infrastructure, as well as police training. We will continue to discuss and coordinate our work in these areas, and help connect GIRoA and Japanese officials. We believe that some of the multilateral vehicles they pursue (such as their insistence on using UNDP for their reintegration trust fund donations) are not optimal and would recommend them to contribute to the World Bank-administered Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) as in the past - Japan contributed $5 million to ARTF in 2002-2003. This is a policy-level issue that Embassy Tokyo and Washington may wish to pursue with Japanese counterparts. End Comment. EIKENBERRY