AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCES SUSTAINABILITY

1. AFGHAN NATIONAL SECURITY FORCESSUSTAINABILITY JorisGhesquiere Head, Plans and Policy NATO Office of Resources

2. Chicago Summit Declaration on Aghanistan Sustaining a sufficient and capable ANSF is the responsibility of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan supported by the International Community. As part of the wider International Community, and building on existing mechanisms, we will play our part in developing appropriate, coherent and effective funding mechanisms and expenditure arrangements for all strands of the ANSF. Such mechanisms will be flexible, transparent, accountable, cost-effective and will include measures against corruption. They will also distinguish between funding for the army and the police as well as for further capacity development within the relevant Afghan ministries and security institutions.

3. Options for funding mechanisms Funding of the ANSF is the responsibility of the Afghan Government with support from the wider International Community ISAF nations’ commitment to the long-term sustainment of the ANSF is linked to ANSF conduct and dependent on the Government delivering on its confirmed commitment to a stable, democratic society, based on the rule of law and good governance, including progress in the fight against corruption, where human rights and fundamental freedoms of its citizens, including men and women and the active participation of both in Afghan society, are guaranteed.

4. Options for funding mechanisms Mechanisms to be able to cover all strands of ANSF funding including ANP and ANA including salaries, capacity development, training and education, equipment, investments and infrastructure, operations and maintenance, procurement, and building integrity and women’s participation activities; Mechanisms to be fully transparent to all donors; Funding mechanisms to ensure transparency, accountability, adequate and regular reporting, donor participation in the management of the funding mechanisms, auditing by an independent auditing authority, efficiency and cost-effectiveness, and systems of control to guard against waste and corruption.

5. Conclusions on funding mechanisms ANSF sustainment is essential for the security of Afghanistan and for the success of the post-2014 NATO-led mission. Funding mechanisms for the sustainment of the ANSF post-2014 must be based on Afghan leadership and ownership of the overall process. There is a need for early Afghan involvement in all relevant strands of work. ANSF sustainment must be based on a coherent and consolidated requirements plan covering all aspects of the ANSF, directly linked to the Afghan budgetary cycle and aiming at becoming multi-annual over time. Donors will need a clear understanding of how support to the Afghan government in requirements definition will be provided in the future.

6. Conclusions on funding mechanisms The current ANA Trust Fund arrangements must be adapted to increase transparency, coherence and accountability, by improving reporting, financial accounting and auditing aspects and donor coordination under the umbrella of a governing body to be established. The presence of multiple funding streams indicates the need for coherence and for coordination between those funding streams. This means that the broader ANSF sustainment arrangements will need to include an oversight and coordination body, consisting of both the Afghan government and the donor communities, that should validate and agree the outputs of the requirements and budgetary processes, coordinate donor commitments against the validated budgetary requirements, and provide oversight and accountability of the funding.

7. Conclusions on funding mechanisms Taking into account the gradual evolution towards on-budget support, capacity building at MoF, MoI and MoD in respect of multi-annual planning, programming, budgeting, implemen-tation, management, oversight and audit must be an important feature of future international support to Afghanistan. The adapted ANA Trust Fund should support Building Integrity and capacity building programmes at those ministries, in line with the established requirements plan.