Chapter 1
Introduction
1.1
On 29 June 2012, the Senate referred the following terms of reference to
the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and
report by 31 December 2012:
The administration, management and objectives of Australia’s
overseas development programs in Afghanistan in the context of the ‘Transition
Decade’, including:
(a) an evaluation of Australia’s bilateral aid program to date in
Afghanistan;
(b) an evaluation of the interaction and effectiveness of Australia’s bilateral
aid, multilateral aid, the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund and other
Australian government departments delivering aid;
(c) the means to most effectively address the Millennium Development Goals
in Afghanistan;
(d) how to guarantee the safety of all workers involved in the delivery of
Australian aid programs in Afghanistan; and
(e) any other related matters.[1]
1.2
On 22 November 2012, the Senate extended the reporting date to 28 March
2013 and on 12 March granted a further extension to 16 May 2013.
Conduct of inquiry
1.3
The committee advertised the inquiry on its website calling for written
submissions. The committee also wrote directly to a range of government
departments and agencies, people and organisations, known to be involved or
interested in the provision of Australian aid to Afghanistan, drawing their
attention to the inquiry and inviting them to make written submissions.
1.4
The committee received 24 submissions and 4 supplementary ones, as well
as additional information including answers to a series of questions taken on
notice by witnesses. They are listed at Appendix 1 and 2 respectively. The
committee held three public hearings in Canberra on 3 and 4 December 2012 and
22 March 2013. A list of hearings and the names of witnesses who appeared before
the committee is at Appendix 3.
Background to inquiry
1.5
In 2001, after two decades of conflict that left Afghanistan a
'shattered society', a group of leading Afghans met in Bonn to take the first
steps toward building a stable, democratic and prosperous Afghanistan. They
called on the international community to reaffirm, strengthen and implement its
commitment to assist with the rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction of their
country.[2]
Having worked together for ten years to achieve this objective, the Government
of Afghanistan and the international community met in 2011 in Bonn to welcome in
a new phase—the start of a period of transition.
1.6
The transition was intended to be a phased process during which the NATO-led
International Security Forces would gradually and responsibly withdraw allowing
the Afghan security forces, as their capability developed, to take full charge
of their country's security. It would close at the end of 2014 and usher in the
'Decade of Transformation' (2015–2024).[3]
1.7
This inquiry commenced after the transition had begun but when concerns
abounded about how the international donor community, including Australia,
could best help Afghanistan sustain the momentum toward a peaceful and
economically self-sustaining country.
Key documents
1.8
Throughout this report, the committee refers to a number of milestone
meetings and accompanying documentation, which include:
- Afghan Bonn Agreement, 2001;
- International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to
Afghanistan, Tokyo 2002;
- Afghanistan Compact, London Conference on Afghanistan, 2006;
- Declaration of the International Conference in Support of
Afghanistan, Paris 12 June 2008;
- Communiqué, London Conference, January 2010;
- Communiqué, International Conference on Afghanistan, Kabul, July
2010;
- International Afghanistan Conference in Bonn, December 2011; and
- Tokyo Declaration, Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan, 'Partnership
for Self-Reliance in Afghanistan, from Transition to Transformation', July
2012.
1.9
The Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness made in Paris in March 2005
is a foundation document that sets down the fundamental principles governing
the delivery of overseas development assistance. The principles enunciated in
this document are reflected in the numerous declarations made in relation to development
assistance to Afghanistan and served as a reference point for the committee's
inquiry.
1.10
The committee also drew on information contained in numerous reports,
including three profiles on Uruzgan Province by The Liaison Office (TLO). The
office is an independent Afghan non-governmental organisation funded by various
donors including non-government and government authorities, international
organisations and foundations.[4]
The committee also gained insight into the views and experiences of Afghans
recorded in publications based on surveys and discussions held during meetings
of focus groups such as the Afghan People's Dialogue on Peace and the
Asia Foundation's A Survey of the Afghan People. In addition, the
Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank
have produced comprehensive studies and evaluations on development assistance to
Afghanistan, which provided the committee with a rich source of information. AusAID
has also published key documents including Australia's strategic approach to
aid in Afghanistan 2010–2012, and in 2011 a review panel produced an Independent
Review of Aid Effectiveness, both of which are cited throughout this
report. A select bibliography of the main publications used by the committee is
located at the end of the report.
Definition of Official Development Assistance (ODA)
1.11
During the course of the inquiry, Defence brought to the committee's
attention a significant and serious miscalculation of funds that had been
recorded as Official Development Assistance (ODA) but which, after review, were
deemed ineligible for such classification. This error, involving in excess of
$200 million over a period of six years, meant that the committee had been relying
on statistics provided by both Defence and AusAID in their submissions that
were highly inaccurate. The committee is of the view that this serious anomaly
should not be glossed over and the Australian Government should make a public
acknowledgement of the error.[5]
It is important that the record—going back to 2006—is corrected and that people
are alerted to the changes. The amended version of Australia's ODA to
Afghanistan, received on 4 February 2013, is reproduced in table 13.1.
Scope of inquiry
1.12
Under the inquiry's terms of reference, the committee was to inquire
into the administration, management and objectives of Australia's overseas
development programs in Afghanistan. It was to do so in the context of the
'Transition Decade'. The committee has done so mindful of the legacy of
destruction left to Afghanistan after years of conflict and one that endures to
this day. In assessing the effectiveness of Australia's aid to Afghanistan, the
committee was also conscious of the fast-approaching decade of transformation
and the critical role that external assistance would have in helping
Afghanistan prepare solid and enduring foundations for the country's future
development.
Structure of report
1.13
In order to gain a better understanding of the context in which
Australia provides aid to Afghanistan, the committee in Part I of this report outlines
the recent history of Afghanistan. The committee starts its consideration with
the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979, its phased withdrawal which
commenced in 1988, the ensuing civil turmoil in Afghanistan, the rise and
collapse of the Taliban regime, the establishment of a Transitional Authority in
Afghanistan and finally the deployment to that country of an International
Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and the United Nations Assistance Mission in
Afghanistan (UNAMA). It looks at the international effort to help rebuild the
war torn country and provides an overview of development assistance to
Afghanistan since 2001. During this period, numerous conferences were held in
an endeavour to ensure that assistance from the international community was
used effectively. Against this background, the committee examines the nature
and extent of Australia's aid to Afghanistan and how it has evolved over the
past decade. Importantly, the committee looks closely at the particular
impediments to the effective delivery of aid to the Afghan people.
1.14
Part II of the report is primarily concerned with the effectiveness of
Australia's aid to Afghanistan—the mechanisms that Australia uses to deliver
aid including: through Afghanistan's national systems; multilateral
organisations and NGOs; and the work of the Provincial Reconstruction Team
(PRT) in Uruzgan. The committee analyses the criticism levelled at a number of
Australia's aid programs or processes affecting Australia's efforts to help
Afghanistan rebuild its country. They include AliceGhan, the administration of
the Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships program for Afghanistan and visas
for visiting Afghans. The committee also considers the Australian Defence
Force's (ADF) contribution to Australia's development assistance to Afghanistan
and the concerns raised with regard to the counterinsurgency approach of 'winning
hearts and minds'.
1.15
In the third part of the report, the committee builds on its
consideration of Australia's contribution to Afghanistan over the past decade
or so, to look at the challenges facing Australia in delivering assistance to
Afghanistan leading to and during the next phase—the transformation. It
understands that as the international military forces withdraw and Afghanistan
takes charge of its own affairs, the country faces severe security, economic and
social challenges.
1.16
The committee concludes its report on Australia's development assistance
to Afghanistan by assessing the way in which Australia evaluates the performance
of its various aid programs.
Acknowledgements
1.17
During the course of the inquiry, the committee has benefitted greatly
from the participation of many individuals and organisations throughout
Australia and visitors from Afghanistan. The committee thanks all those who
assisted with the inquiry, especially the agencies and witnesses who put in extra
time and effort to answer written questions on notice and provide valuable feedback
to the committee as it gathered evidence.
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