Tokyo Conference on "Consolidation of Peace (DDR)" in Afghanistan

Change of Orders "from Guns to Hoes"

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will hold a "Tokyo Conference on "Consolidation of Peace (DDR)" in Afghanistan - Change of Orders "from Guns to Hoes"" on February 22 (Sat) in Tokyo (Imperial Hotel).

The Conference will be attended from Japan by Ms. Yoriko Kawaguchi, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mrs. Sadako Ogata, Prime Minister's Special Representative for Assistance to Afghanistan, Mr. Mutsuyoshi Nishimura, Ambassador of Japan in charge of Afghanistan Assistance Coordination, and others, from Afghanistan by Mr. Hamid Karzai, President of the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan, Mr. Abdullah Abdullah, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Yousuf Pashtun, Minister of Urban Development and Housing, and others, and other representatives from about 35 countries and 10 international organizations which also assist Afghanistan, including the U.S., the U.K., Germany, the EU and the United Nations Assistance Mission to Afghanistan (UNAMA).

At the Conference, which will focus on domestic security, a vital key to Afghanistan's peace building and reconstruction, the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan and Japan and other donor countries and organizations will exchange views on concrete measures to promote the DDR (disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of the former combatants) process in Afghanistan.

At the Conference, Japan, as the lead country of DDR and the Chair of the Conference, will announce its own concrete assistance measures and call upon the international community for assistance in promoting the DDR process.

The Conference is being held to promote Afghanistan's peace building and stable reconstruction as a follow-up of the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan held in January 2002 in Tokyo. It is expected that the Transitional Administration of Afghanistan will express its strong confidence and concrete directions on DDR. Japan regards this Conference as a good chance to further contribute concretely and proactively to the peace and stability of Afghanistan.