Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Charity Edgar | Donor nation ambassadors, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan personnel...... read more read more
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KABUL, Afghanistan - Donor nation ambassadors, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan personnel and international partners joined Afghan leaders, including President Ashraf Ghani, at the Presidential Palace to review progress on transparency, accountability and affordability initiatives within the Afghan Security Institutions.
The sixth meeting of the Oversight and Coordination Body provided an opportunity for stakeholders to examine funding and requirements in Afghanistan ahead of the next NATO Summit in July. Coalition partners will gather in Warsaw to finalize financial commitments to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces for 2018 to 2020.
Canada’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Deborah Lyons co-chaired the meeting with Minister of Finance Eklil Ahmad Hakimi, and provided opening remarks.
“We intend for today’s meeting to be a strategic discussion,” said Lyons. “The ‘Road to Warsaw’ is very much the theme for today’s meeting. You will hear about achievements and progress. You will also hear about plans for addressing the remaining challenges.
“We will begin the conversation on the OCB collective vision for a successful Warsaw—what does success at Warsaw mean, what parameters of progress are we drafting for the donors to commit to, how will we measure our achievements over the 2018 to 2020 period to ensure we are all delivering a more peaceful and secure future for all Afghans,” continued Lyons, who completed her term as OCB co-chair and handed the gavel to Italy’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Luciano Pezzotti at the meeting’s conclusion.
President Ghani briefly joined the meeting, thanking the international partners for their investment in Afghanistan’s security, as well as the sacrifices made by the men and women in their militaries.
Mohammad Masoom Stanekzai, Minister of Defense, and Noorulhaq Uloomi, Minister of Interior, discussed their agencies’ requirements, actions underway to achieve them and the way forward.
“On the ‘Road to Warsaw’ our message will be clear; we must demonstrate the cost of the army is affordable and sustainable,” said Stanekzai, following a list of Afghan National Army accomplishments in the past year including civilianization of administrative agency posts, transparency and accountability efforts and restructuring of leadership to improve combat efficiency and reduce attrition through the establishment of an operational readiness cycle.
Uloomi highlighted various Afghan National Police achievements throughout the country, with an emphasis on countering corruption, continued gender integration and savings through a fuel refit.
“We are building capacity,” said Uloomi. “We continue to implement changes to further enforce the law and prepare for the upcoming fighting season.”
Hakimi emphasized savings through contracting in his remarks.
“We have developed a national procurement authority to set up savings and better oversight,” he said. “Now when we say we aim to improve security spending, we have the systems in place to ensure our allocations match our intentions.”
Hakimi also highlighted ongoing planning for the eventual divestment of large coalition airfields that will one day serve as economic zones.
“We will transform Afghanistan into a transit regional hub,” said Hakimi. “Security is not only a necessity for safety, it will improve fiscal well-being in Afghanistan.”
The head of the European Union Delegation to Afghanistan, Franz-Michael Mellbin, provided a presentation outlining economic support from NATO in areas outside of security. Mellbin reiterated that economic prosperity and security in Afghanistan go hand in hand.
U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Gordon “Skip” Davis, Jr., commander, Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan, emphasized the importance of cost savings, noting that Ghani had charged him with making the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces affordable for years to come.
Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan manages $5 billion in donor funds which is invested in equipment, facilities and contracts for the Afghan National Army and Police.
He highlighted the recent signing of commitment letters; formal documents which publish conditions the command and Afghan government have agreed upon to “ensure stewardship and good discipline,” as well as promote fiscal accountability and transparency.
Davis applauded the cost savings initiatives undertaken with the ministries leading up to Warsaw.
“The command’s purpose is to develop a sustainable, effective and affordable Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in support of the Afghan government,” said Davis. “With these significant savings we can do more with the contributions we are provided.”
| Date Taken: | 01.25.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2016 12:23 |
| Story ID: | 186963 |
| Location: | KABUL, AF |
| Hometown: | KABUL, AF |
| Hometown: | BRUSSELS, BRU, BE |
| Hometown: | OTTAWA, ON, CA |
| Hometown: | COPENHAGEN, DK |
| Hometown: | ROME, IT |
| Hometown: | VICENZA, IT |
| Hometown: | KRAKOW, PL |
| Hometown: | THE PENTAGON, DC, US |
| Web Views: | 579 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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