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UNCLAS STATE 044359 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EAID ECON EFIN KDEM PGOV PREL
SUBJECT: PLEDGING AT THE PARIS SUPPORT CONFERENCE FOR 
AFGHANISTAN 
 
REF: STATE 32115 
 
   (U) This is an action request. Please see paragraph 
nine. 
 
¶1. (U) Summary: The United States views the upcoming Paris 
Support Conference for Afghanistan as an opportunity for the 
international community to reaffirm its long-term commitment 
for Afghanistan through support for the Afghanistan National 
Development Strategy and the 2009 and 2010 Afghan elections. 
The U.S. Government will encourage all of Afghanistan,s 
partners to pledge more than they did at the 2006 London 
Conference, surpassing the $10.5 billion pledge total 
achieved there, as a demonstration of this long-term 
commitment.  Many donors have announced large pledges since 
the London Conference, and we encourage all donors to include 
all assistance announced since the London Conference and 
beyond in their pledges at Paris.  The U.S. Government will 
also urge all donors to include funding for the 2009 and 2010 
elections in their pledges, which the UN has estimated will 
cost $475 million.  The need is immediate, as voter 
registration will begin this summer. End Summary. 
 
¶2. (U) The United States applauds France's decision to set 
both political and financial objectives for the June 12 Paris 
Support Conference for Afghanistan.  We look forward to 
joining our international partners to renew the international 
community's support for the Afghanistan Compact and to help 
raise new financial pledges to support the Afghanistan 
National Development Strategy (2008-2013) and upcoming 2009 
and 2010 elections.  We also urge donors to live up to 
previous, still-unfulfilled promises of assistance. 
 
¶3. (U) Pledging is an important aspect of the Paris 
conference because it demonstrates our long-term commitment 
to Afghanistan.  Donors are encouraged to pledge toward the 
needs identified in the Afghan Government,s Afghanistan 
National Development Strategy, which we anticipate the World 
Bank and the International Monetary Fund will approve before 
the Paris conference.  Our goal at the conference is to put 
money behind the plan. 
 
¶4. (U) Donors are also urged to include funding for the 2009 
and 2010 elections in their pledges at Paris.  The need is 
immediate.  Voter registration must begin this summer.  The 
estimated cost of $100 million for registration is largely 
unmet.  Unlike the 2004/2005 elections, when the 
international community had a direct technical role in 
implementation, the Afghan Government will take the lead in 
implementing the upcoming elections.  To do so successfully, 
they need our financial support.  The UN has estimated the 
elections will cost $475 million.  The U.S. Government plans 
to include approximately $205 million specifically for 
election support in its Paris pledge and encourages other 
donors to make significant contributions as well. 
International support for voter outreach, election 
administration and observer training will also be crucial. 
Failure to support the elections will put the blooming 
democracy, in which Afghanistan and its partners have 
invested so much effort since 2001, at grave risk. 
 
¶5. (U) There is no obvious target for pledging in Paris other 
than the five-year Afghanistan National Development 
Strategy's price tag of $50 billion over five years.  The 
Government of Afghanistan has stated that toward the $50 
billion, $7 billion will be available from Afghan revenues 
and $24 billion has already been pledged.  However, a $50 
billion pledge target is unrealistic, and we would set 
ourselves up for failure in the public eye if we announced it 
as such for Paris.  We would also immediately find ourselves 
in a complicated exercise of accounting for old money versus 
new money if we break out the $50 billion according to 
existing contributions versus additional needs. 
 
¶6. (U) In making pledges, the United States believes that 
donors should account for their respective pledges since the 
London Conference as well as any new pledges they plan to 
announce at Paris.  If the international community agrees to 
abide by this method, we will reduce the inevitable confusion 
and undesirable complexity of debating old versus new money 
that often plagues such 
conferences.  Standardizing our pledging will also dispel 
criticism that some donors are pledging old money.  Rather, 
the measures of a successful conference will be whether the 
international community exceeded the pledge total in 
London - $10.5 billion -- and whether a large number of 
countries and organizations announces pledges. 
 
¶7. (U) We understand that EU member states have already 
discussed a common no-pledging position for Paris and urge 
them to reconsider.  There have been very significant 
contributions publicly announced in the past two years.  For 
example, the United Kingdom pledged $1 billion over four 
years in late 2007, and the European Commission pledged $955 
million for 2007 through 2010.  EU donors should use the 
Paris Conference as an opportunity to ensure broad public 
recognition for their ongoing assistance, demonstrate the 
full range of their long-term commitment to Afghanistan, and 
back an Afghan Government-led effort to progress.  We should 
all aim to pledge more than we did at the London Conference. 
 
¶8. (U) In Paris, the United States will pledge money 
appropriated by or requested from Congress since the London 
Conference.  This was also our approach in London.  The U.S. 
pledge will be substantial.  We hope also to maximize the 
number of countries and organizations that announce pledges 
to demonstrate continued long-term support for Afghanistan. 
 
¶9. (U) Action Request: We request Embassies and USEU to 
approach senior-level government counterparts to encourage 
them to announce a pledge larger than they contributed at the 
London conference.  Please also stress the urgent need for 
election support and encourage donors to provide funds 
specifically for elections in their pledges.  Please report 
on whether counterparts agree with our approach to 
determining their pledges and any additional information 
received regarding counterparts' intended participation and 
pledging at the Paris Conference.  Posts are requested to 
respond to this demarche to Washington no later than 
Wednesday, May 14, slugged for Lauren Frese (SCA/A). 
Embassy Kabul should inform the Afghan Government of the U.S. 
effort.  USNATO and USUN may also draw on this cable as 
appropriate. 
 
RICE 
RICE