VZCZCXRO2323
PP RUEHDBU RUEHPW RUEHSL
DE RUEHBUL #2140/01 2130630
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 010630Z AUG 09
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0467
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEABND/DEA HQS WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC

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. 
 
EIKENBERRY 
 
KABUL 00002140  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
-- (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