24 Jan 2010 13:54:05 GMT
Source: Reuters
KABUL, Jan 24 (Reuters) - A draft communique for an international conference in London this week commits Afghanistan and the international community to set up a framework for Kabul to take over responsibility for its own security.
Here are some key points from the six-page draft, which was obtained by Reuters on Sunday:
SECURITY
* The draft foresees "a framework for the transition to full Afghan security primacy, including the endorsement of the conditions agreed by ISAF (the International Security Assistance Force) for the phased transition to the Afghans of the security lead at the provincial level".
* The Afghan government and international community would carry out the security handover "as rapidly as possible, with an agreement that transition will begin in 2010 and that a number of provinces may transition to Afghan security primacy, with ISAF moving to a supporting role within them, by early 2011."
REINTEGRATION
* The Afghan government will "establish a National Reintegration Organisation that can manage efforts to reach out to insurgents who are prepared to work peacefully within the constitutional framework and have no links to terrorist groups such as (al Qaeda)". The international community will "provide sufficient funding to enable it to finance the Afghan-led Reintegration and Reconciliation Programme".
ECONOMY, CAPACITY BUILDING
* Afghanistan will "implement a competitive and transparent process for managing the mining and hydrocarbons sector".
* The international community will aim to spend an increasing portion of development aid directly through the Afghan government. The percentage to be routed through Karzai and his ministers is left blank in the draft text.
* The international community also commits to providing debt relief of an amount left blank in the draft.
CORRUPTION
* The conference does not appear likely to announce new measures to fight corruption. The draft endorses a number of anti-corruption steps, such as setting up new law enforcement bodies, but describes these either as commitments Karzai has already announced in the past or as plans to be discussed at a future conference in Kabul.
FOREIGN POLICY
* The conference backs ties with Afghanistan's neighbours "based on the principles of territorial integrity, mutual respect, cooperation and non-interference in each others' internal affairs. Afghanistan and its neighbours undertake to ensure no support for illegally armed groups and to bring a halt to other measures that risk destabilising each other". (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan) (Editing by Noah Barkin)