UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : 2020 Afghanistan Conference - closing press conference 24 November 2020

[Other language spoken]

Yeah, we could do that.

The problem, the problem Sir, is, yeah, it's OK.

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It's really that issue, the main issue.

We are connecting to the platform.

We are ready to start.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you for being with us for this press conference on the closure of the 2020 Afghanistan conference, which took place in the last two days here in Geneva at the Paledinacio.

As you know, as usual, we are having this press conference in a hybrid format.

Many of our colleagues are connected on the platform, and we'll be able to ask questions later on.

We also have journalists in the room.

We welcome them, and they will also have a chance to ask questions after the initial statement.

We have 5 speakers this afternoon and we will listen to them in succession for their short initial remarks.

And then I will open the floor to questions.

Bear with us, we have a small podium as you know and we can't accommodate in a, in a Safeway, everybody on the podium.

So we will try to make a rotation, give us a little bit of time and be patient when we will make the changes.

So I will now give the floor first to the Minister Ville Skinneri, Minister for Development, Cooperation and Foreign Trade of the Government of Finland for his initial remarks.

Minister, you have the floor.

Your Excellencies, dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, let me start by thanking my Co chairs.

Today's success follows joint efforts.

Our hard work has really paid off.

Please allow me to express also my deep gratitude to all participants.

With the **** level participation we witnessed today, it is clear that our commitment to long term support remains strong.

We vowed to join the continued efforts to ensure that the gains of the past 19 years will not be lost, but build on the conference agreed on a new four year Aid architecture.

Afghanistan partnership framework Instead of mutual accountability, A renewed partnership was formed to bring Afghanistan closer to the mainstream of international cooperation.

The AFP reflects the faeces expressed at the conference and strengthens conditionality and the review mechanism for international aid.

For the first time, the government of Afghanistan and the development partners agreed on a set of principles underpinning the cooperation.

Respect for democracy, the rule of law, human rights and gender equality are prerequisite for future cooperation.

Particular attention will be paid on anti corruption measures.

The donors expressed strong support for the final four year cycle of the Transformation Decade and pledged some USD 3 billion for the first year of of the upcoming quadrennial, with the annual commitments expected to stay in the same level year on year.

I would like to thank the civil society for their very important input to the conference.

I hope that their strong voice in the conference was heard and will be acted upon.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Minister Skinnery.

And I would like now to give the floor to His Excellency Abdul Hadi Argawan Arghandiwal, the Minister of Finance of the Government of Afghanistan.

Excellent CEO of the floor, Soulai Rahmander Rahim.

First of all, I would like to thank all participants in this valuable conference and particularly I would like to thank the government of Switzerland and the people of Switzerland for their home hospitality.

And also for I would like to thank the Finland government and the people of Finland for supporting the Afghan conference which they have tried hard for past months to to succeed this programme in.

Fortunately, today we heard very good news out of this conference and the successes this conference was because of the hard work of Finland team and also Miss Lyons in all the people who were working for the Afghan programme to to support the the cause of Afghanistan in this crucial time.

I believe it was a new start, especially after chrono pandemic.

This was a, a very new and showed the solidarity of the word to the people of Afghanistan and it was a unique and I would like to thank all of them.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Your Excellency.

And now the floor goes to Missus Deborah Lyons, who is the special representative of the United Nations Secretary General and head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan.

Missus Lyons, you have the floor.

You didn't trust that I knew where the button was, did you?

Good evening, everyone.

After an incredible day, we might be a little tired, but we're very happy.

At the opening ceremonies this morning, I mentioned that I was hoping we would all approach the conference with a spirit of resolve and I must say that that came through in, in, in, in, in, in volumes.

Truly what happened today, 66 countries and some 30 plus international organisations came together.

The world came together for the people of Afghanistan.

I said to some of the media earlier that the Afghan people really have known some very difficult and sometimes terrible days.

But today, today was a good day for Afghanistan.

International donors and many regional countries and international organisations came together to express emphatic support to the people of Afghanistan.

What was the message?

We stand with you.

We are steadfast in our support for Afghanistan, particularly now when Afghanistan begins to turn that critical corner toward peace, something that has been a long desired yearn for vision for so many Afghans in the last many decades.

We stand with you and support you in very concrete financial terms, as we saw today.

We stand with you as you move towards stability and a more prosperous future and your rightful place within the region of South Asia and Central Asia.

Being able to contribute the way a country with such richness, such diversity, such incredible human capital can contribute.

We are backing the progress that, despite incredible obstacles, has been achieved since 2002.

We, the international community, stand with you backing this progress.

We are determined to assist Afghans preserve the gains that have been achieved and in fact go further to enhance those gains loud and clear.

We have heard over the last two days of the conference that Afghanistan's international partners, including the many organisations, as well as the regional partners, are determined to provide, as friends do, incredible support, prepared to provide the necessary political, financial and Technical Support to the people of Afghanistan.

But I want to also say that this does not come freely, it comes with conditions.

It comes with concerns that the violence must be reduced, that a ceasefire must be achieved, that the peace talks must progress and much demonstrate progress in a timely manner, accepting that peace negotiations are complex and are time consuming, but progress must be shown and also that the choices made in the peace talks may very well over time influence the ongoing commitment.

Other conditions mentioned by the Minister of Finance just now on a strong mandate on anti corruption measures, on ensuring that women's rights, minority rights, freedoms of the press, ethnic rights, religious rights continue to be maintained and in fact enhanced where possible.

Our Finnish colleague mentioned the engagement of civil society, the vibrant civil society in Afghanistan that has been a fundamental part of the development to date.

And then of course, the importance, the all critical importance of building strong governance, strong government institutions, those institutions that are not just the hallmark of any bureaucracy, they are in fact the foundation of democracy and a fortress against corruption.

So we know that the challenges are daunting, but we stand with you.

The pledges provided and the decisions adopted here in Geneva, taken together with the peace talks under way now, are mutually reinforcing signs that not only is peace possible, but it is supported by the global community and it will, taken together, set the foundation that the young Afghan boys and girls so long for and so deserve.

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I look forward to your questions.

Thank you very much.

Missus Lyons, I would like now to ask for your indulgence why our ministers stepped down and the ministers of Foreign affairs of the two Co organiser comes on the podium and we clean the mics quickly.

No, if we have, yeah, we try to be very vigorous because would you please?

So I have now the pleasure to give the floor to His Excellency Pekka Harvesto, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Finland.

Thank you thank you, Madam Chair, and it's really pleasure to be here after such a successful days.

First, of course, I I want to thank my Co chairs from Eunama and and UN, Madame Leons, Sir Raschi and of course the Afghan Government and and Minister Othman and Minister Ardan Diwal for excellent cooperation during these days, but also excellent cooperation during the preparations.

And of course, my colleague Will Skinnery, our Minister for Development Cooperation and the whole team led by Mr Ambassador Yan Natalas, who who made this possible to to have a successful day today.

Despite of the global pandemic, we were able to come together in great numbers as we heard more than 60 countries, more than 30 international organisations today to make our renew commitment for the partnership and development of Afghanistan.

The international community has once again proved that we believe in multilateralism.

We are stronger together.

We stand with Afghanistan to make peace, prosperity and self-reliance a reality for all Afghans.

I was overwhelmed by the strong political support and resources pledged today.

I hope that the people all over Afghanistan received this message of solidarity and continued support.

Supporting the peace process is the only way forward.

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The participant encourage Afghanistan to seize this historic opportunity for peace.

There are difficult choices and compromises to be made and we need flexibility from all sides.

But realising lasting peace is possible.

We just need earnest efforts by all.

The international community will keep on supporting these efforts and particularly pleased that the participants for the very first time unanimously called for an immediate, permanent and comprehensive ceasefire.

This call is included in the political communique of the conference.

The communique also makes a clear reference to the end state of the peace negotiations, the unified, sovereign, peaceful and democratic Afghanistan.

Hand in hand, we will take steps forward on that part.

And I'm particularly delighted the role of the youth, women, civil society during these days.

We make, of course, the world better also for the young generation.

I always remember my first visit to Afghanistan, spring 2002, half destroyed Kabul, that time Minister of Finance Afrid Ghani, nowadays a president sitting in a bond building without windows, his son as a secretary there.

And and and what I found the proudness of Afghans were not lost.

The willingness for development were not lost.

And and these 19 years of development should not be lost.

We should build on on that progress that we have made as international community.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much for Excellency.

And now I give the floor to His Excellency Mohammed Anev Akmar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Afghanistan.

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Busmilai Rahmanir Rahim, Let me also join my colleagues in saying that we are extremely pleased with the result that we have achieved from today's conference.

This was a unique conference in many ways under very difficult circumstances.

We were having a kind of hybrid format for for for this conference.

So the coronavirus certainly affected the way we do business, but it did not affect the solidarity, the strong political will of the international community and their friendship and partnership with the people of Afghanistan.

That I can say for sure.

The conference was successful in achieving its goals to renew the partnership between the Government of Afghanistan, Government and people of Afghanistan and the international partners for our shared interests in security and stability in peace and development.

Again, it is important to highlight that the world community in Afghanistan reaffirmed that they have shared interest in addressing common concerns and threats to our security and our way of life.

Specifically, as my colleagues said already, the conference achieved 3 things.

One, the Government of Afghanistan and the international community agreed on a political and development programme for the coming four years.

Second, we agreed on a set of rules, principles and mutual accountability framework that while we are friends, brothers and sisters, but we need to account to each other on our obligations and responsibilities.

This was extremely important that it will provide a **** level of assurance and comfort to both sides.

And the third achievement was pledges from both sides.

The Afghan side pledged to do its part to shoulder the responsibility for security and for reforms and good governance and also to move with a strong political will to achieve peace.

And the international partners agreed to provide not just financial resources, which is quite an impressive level of pledge.

I mean, my, my colleagues talked about it over 3 billion for the first year and around 13 billion all together for the four years.

Again, as I said earlier that the COVID-19 might have affected the economies of our international partners, but not their generosity, not their ability to to support.

Also our partners pledged their political and and security support.

Again, for all of that we are extremely grateful, grateful to our partners, to our host country and our Co hosts, especially the government and people of Finland, the United Nations, the host country, Switzerland and all of the over 90 countries and organisations that not only participated in the conference today but spoke at the conference.

They shared their wisdom with us as well as their pledges of assistance and support.

Let me quickly point out that these pledges and support rests on a set of conditionalities.

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There are two sets of conditionalities here, and the Government of Afghanistan would like to be quite transparent about them because it's our intention to meet those conditionalities.

We owe it to our people and we owe it to the international taxpayers and supporters of of Afghanistan.

The first set of conditionalities relate to peace.

While the international community unanimously, wholeheartedly supported the peace process and welcome peace negotiations and demanded ceasefire, but at the same time they expressed their concerns as well about the peace process.

It's important that they pointed out to to the fact that the current level of violence is absolutely unacceptable in Afghanistan and there will have to be an immediate ceasefire.

This is a strong message to the Taliban that it's not just the people of Afghanistan who demand a ceasefire immediately now because of the emergency situation created as a result of the COVID-19 effects, but also the the fact that it's for too long and and with horrible humanitarian consequences for the people of Afghanistan.

So the Taliban must listen to the demand made by the entire world community represented by these great nations today.

Second, the concerns that our partners also had about the peace process and the end state.

The process must be inclusive.

The process must not be hindered by artificial obstacles.

And the government of Afghanistan clearly stated its intentions that we will not be the ones creating obstacles to the peace process.

We will be the ones with full commitment, a strong political will to enable the peace process to move ahead, and I hope the Taliban will have the courage to come out and show the same level of commitment to peace.

Our international partners stress the fact that not every kind of peace will be accepted and not any kind of peace will be sustainable.

It will have to be peace that protects the basic rights of the Afghan people, the achievements, the political, socio economic achievements of the Afghan people over the past 19 years.

Afghanistan will have to remain a democratic country respectful of human rights, women's rights and the rights of the minorities.

The outcome of the process of peace will have to be shaped by the free will of the Afghan people.

Now this message is music to the ear of the Afghan people.

Thank you our international partners.

This is exactly our intention.

This is exactly what we are trying to do with the peace process.

Now the second set of conditionalities relate to good governance and specifically the message was was given to the government of Afghanistan.

This message related to respect for the rule of law, democracy and democratic processes and and and governance, respect for women's rights and women's participation and the participation of minorities in in in the process.

It was a strong demand for anti corruption through the entire system of of governance.

Let me conclude by saying that these messages were loud and clear and the government of Afghanistan has every intention to double its efforts to meet the basic expectations of our people and our international partners in this respect.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Minister Atmar, for these initial remarks and to all the speakers.

Now I will open the floor to questions in the room and online.

Just let me explain that as we have two of our speakers, the two ministers who spoke first, who are in the room, please indicate to whom your question is addressed so that if it's one of the minister who are in the room, I will gladly let them come to the lectern and answer to you.

And the other thing, please introduce yourself when you ask your question, but I will start with a question in the room and I don't need you to introduce yourself.

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Laurent Sierra from the Swiss News Agency.

You have the floor Laurent, for your question.

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Question to both foreign ministers at More and Harvesto.

We heard this afternoon the US strongly linking the continuation of their AD after 2021 to concrete progress in the process in Qatar.

So as you consider these conference here in Geneva success, what kind of concrete impetus do you see in the outcome for the process in Qatar?

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I don't know which minister would like to start.

OK, Minister Atmar, maybe we actually welcome that conditionality to to link assistance to progress on, specifically on the peace process.

This will have to be seen, especially by both sides, that if Afghanistan is to receive international assistance, we will have to make progress on peace.

So there is incentive for making progress on the peace front.

The government of Afghanistan has every intention to make that progress and not just to receive the international assistance, but to respond positively to the expectations of our people.

And we hope that the Taliban will be able to demonstrate a similar commitment and willingness.

Now I'm absolutely confident that in the coming weeks we will be making progress.

If the Taliban embrace the same spirit for supporting peace and reconciliation in the country, we will be obviously looking at other aspects of this conditionality as well.

It's not just linking it to Doha, it's also linking it to the end state.

The state secretary was quite clear in saying that the, the scope and the size of international assistance will be determined by the outcome of the peace process.

So it's not only linked to the process, it is also linked to the end state, to the outcome.

And in this we are on the same page.

Thank you, Mr Thank you and thank you for your excellent question.

I, I visited Kabul couple of weeks ago and we had excellent talks with President Ghani and Foreign Minister Atmaran.

Of course, I was informed some positive progress like exchange of the prisoners between government and, and, and Taliban, but also the big concern about the continued violence in Kabul and in Helmand province and, and and so forth.

And of course, when you look at that picture, I think today's appeal for the immediate ceasefire, immediate stop of the violence is a very, very serious appeal from the journal community also towards Taliban.

You know that there is some some time in, in, in Doha to to have these talks.

I also had the opportunity shortly to stop in, in Doha and understand the mechanism of the talks.

It's two sides are sitting in the room without mediation and so forth, directly talking to each others.

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But it's very important that the message from the international donor community here is very clear.

We will support Afghanistan, where human rights are appreciated, the role of women is appreciated, where girls still has the possibility to go to schools and even more girls can go to the schools, where youth possibilities for youth are created, where minorities are, are respected.

And these conditionalities, as Minister Akmar mentioned, are very important in this donor commitment.

And I think it's very clear, saying not only to the government of Afghanistan, but also to Taliban.

Thank you, Minister Harvesto.

I will turn again to the journalist, Jamie Keaton, Associated Press Good evening.

Thank you for taking my question.

[Other language spoken]

I have a question for both, both ministers.

Minister Akamar, you mentioned that it's the Afghan people will respond, but a big chunk of the Afghan, some representatives, the Taliban are not here.

They're not here.

And you say that you hope that they will hear the message.

What is the incentive for the Taliban to respond to this message given by the International Union?

What do they stand to gain from it?

And secondly, if I could just also ask, in Doha, Under Secretary Hale mentioned there was some progress made today in terms of setting the agenda.

Could you tell us anything about that, if you've had a chance to be up to speed?

And then for the Finnish minister, if I could just ask about the numbers that we've gotten today.

We heard from Mr Schenati about the 12 billion extrapolated.

Could you just tell us who the major donors are and why you can make that assumption?

That 3 billion for next year may well mean 12 billion / 4 years.

[Other language spoken]

Minister Atmar, maybe you would like to start.

The Taliban are not here.

They did not attend the the conference because they did not meet a conditionality which was to reduce violence and come to the conference with a commitment to respect the international humanitarian law.

That's why the international community did not invite them.

But they have many means to receive the message.

They are following us and our international partners are engaged with them and and these messages are delivered.

But when it comes to the incentives, the incentives are quite strong.

First, the Taliban do know that there is no military solution to this problem.

They know that it's not just the Afghan civilians, Afghan people, Afghan national security forces that get killed and that the consequences, humanitarian consequences for them, for their families and for their future will be equally dying.

So nobody will be the winner in in this war, but everybody will be the winner from a peaceful political settlement.

They will benefit, their families will benefit, and if there's anybody that they represent in this case, they will benefit.

Second is a political issue that if they don't take the offer of the international community, they will have to put up with the consequences of this number one, they will have to explain to the Afghan people that in addition to waging a war and violence against them, they are also depriving them of international assistance.

They will have to explain that to the Afghan people.

And and 2nd is that they will be confronted by a united front of the international community and the regional community.

So the Taliban have every incentive to show wisdom and sound judgement and take the offer of the international community and listen to the demand of the Afghan people.

Just Jenny, you had a yes, if, if, if you can.

And then I'll go to Minister Harvest.

My, my jet lag is probably catching up with me.

What's happening in Doha that both sides are fully engaged and the Afghan side is fully committed to remaining engaged?

And making sure that the negotiation process succeeds with the the two teams entirely focused on issue one in in their negotiation and that was to agree on rules of procedure for the negotiation.

They made very good progress on over 20 items of the Rules of Procedure, but there is difference on one item of the Rules of Procedure and that item is related to the basis, the legal basis for the negotiation.

There is some progress there.

Our team came back to Kabul for consultation.

We welcome the progress there, but there is some more work to be done with that to be finalised.

I was just on the phone with our chief negotiator and they're hoping that very soon the negotiation will be resumed, in fact at the level of leadership and full team and hopefully they will make progress with the remaining hundreds of and pending issue.

[Other language spoken]

Minister Harvesto on the other question from Associated Press Thank you.

And and it was a good question about the pledges and and maybe my colleague, Minister Skinnery would would like to add also something.

But, but really how we calculated the results of today was, was that for the next year, 2021, there was a there were together pledges more than 3 billion U.S.

[Other language spoken]

And and we calculated that if countries like they said that they can, they can maintain the same level.

If the conditionalities will be fulfilled, then we can calculate some.

That was expressed by the minister here, more than 12 billion U.S.

dollars for four years period.

Countries pledge a little bit in a different way.

Some say that this is my pledge for the whole four years and this is it together.

And some of them, some countries pledge maybe one year and say we will maintain the level if, if the conditions will be fulfilled.

I, I would be particularly happy to say that really among those 66 countries, we had all countries who have been so far supporting Afghanistan.

So there was nobody who, who said that we will not continue our, our commitments.

Of course, we understood fully that there are countries where the COVID-19 situation is, is maybe impacting to the financial possibilities and so forth.

But but maybe also particularly mentioned the region and activity, activity of the, the, the region and countries of the region.

And they, they pledges, let me yes, come, come on the podium and just clean the.

Thank you so much and thank you for a very good question.

As Minister Harvest indicated, I would like to add a few things today.

The countries expressed their commitment to to this significant support by pledging over $3 billion for the year 2000 and and 21.

But as said, there are conditions assuming annual commitments are expected to stay in the same level for the four year.

In total then this would mean that $12 million, the decision on continuation of aid at comparable level will be reviewed against the government's progress in the key reform areas.

So in other words, there are conditions as agreed and there is conditionality including also the demonstrated anti corruption efforts which is of importance to the international, international community and also the rule of law principles including the commitment to the democracy.

And also there was a question regarding the exact amounts from the donors who were the biggest and so forth.

Well, to be honest, to be frank, we are not that 100% clear yet with all the final amounts.

And we'll, we'll get back to you with the exact amounts as soon as we have all the figures.

[Other language spoken]

And Minister, if you want to add anything just let me, just let me know.

[Other language spoken]

So I will go to the next question in the room.

I don't see any other hand up.

Then on the platform we have very many journalists connected this afternoon.

So I will ask them if they want to ask any question to raise their electronic hand.

I don't see any hand up for the moment.

Let's give a few more moments to our colleague.

But why while your colleagues on the platform are trying to raise their hands?

[Other language spoken]

Well, my colleagues, well my colleagues.

Wait, Minister Schenati, if I could just ask you to clarify.

You said you don't have the specifics.

The Americans had said that they were going to give 600 million for next year, but that 300 million was conditional on progress in the peace stocks.

Are you counting 600 for the Americans or 300 minister or anybody else who would have to?

Well, thank you for the question.

As I indicated earlier, we have the rough figures and that's approximately some 3 billion U.S.

dollars And and once we have the final figures, we do get back to you.

[Other language spoken]

Sure, Minister, Please, Minister would like to just just to add to what Minister Scannery just said, I would count the 600 in this because we, we understand what our Americans friends are referring to.

This progress will have to be made and the government of Afghanistan has every intention to make it and therefore it's only logical to include the 600 in in in this very much Minister.

I don't see any other requests for questions from the journalist.

So if this is the case, I would like to ask our speakers if there's any final comments that they would like to do before we close it.

I don't see any.

So thank you all very much.

Thanks to the the three Co organiser of this Afghanistan Conference 2020.

I would like to wish you all a very pleasant evening.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Sir, and sorry for this ballet.