open popup Well on the way to full sovereignty Photo: BMI

The German Cabinet adopted the progress report on Afghanistan on 14 December 2011.

The progress reports of the German government on the situation in Afghanistan are designed to inform the German Bundestag. They are drawn up by the federal ministries involved in Afghanistan under the aegis of Ambassador Michael Steiner, Germany.

Partnership with Afghanistan renewed

The progress report on Afghanistan firstly sums up the outcomes of the international conference on Afghanistan held in Bonn on 5 December 2011, at which the partnership between Afghanistan and the international community was renewed and placed on a clear and firm footing for the decade following 2014.

Ten years after the Petersberg Conference, Afghanistan is today well on the way to becoming a fully sovereign state. Following the first phase of rebuilding the state of Afghanistan, the focus is now to shift to the transitional period beginning in 2014. With a clear commitment to continuing international engagement after 2014, the conference was able to allay the fears of many Afghans that the Taliban could simply wait for the international troops to withdraw.

Long-term objectives drawn up

Our objective is still to ensure that Afghanistan never again represents a threat to world security. The crisis-ridden state must become a responsible sovereign state of Afghanistan. It must help build peace and stability in the region, as an equal member of the international community.

For any lasting stabilisation of the situation in Afghanistan, a political peace process is indispensable. The legitimate interests of all groups in Afghanistan must be taken into account. Including the Taliban. The international conference on Afghanistan in Bonn drew up fundamental principles for this political peace process and the intended outcome.

The message to come out of Bonn is that Afghanistan will not be left in the lurch. We must work together to preserve what we have achieved together .

In its first progress report in December 2010, the German government took stock of German engagement in Afghanistan and laid out the course to be taken by that engagement.

After an interim report in July 2011, the German government has now produced a detailed progress report as promised. It lays out the current situation in Afghanistan and reports on the international and German commitment in the country.

The situation in Afghanistan has improved

The progress report is broken down into three main activity areas of international engagement in Afghanistan:

• Security
• Governance
• Development

Afghans assume responsibility for their own security

In spite of some spectacular attacks, the security situation as a whole was consolidated in 2011. The assistance being provided to build the Afghan security forces is continuing successfully as planned. In October 2011 the security forces numbered 305,600. They are thus well on the way to ensuring the stability needed to build and develop Afghanistan.

In July 2011 the Afghan government began to take over responsibility for security in the country. By the end of 2014 the Afghan side should be responsible for the entire country. Afghanistan will then enjoy full sovereignty.

Enforcing the Afghan constitution

In terms of governance and democracy, there is still a lot to be done in Afghanistan. Germany is involved in training lawyers and administrators. The institutions involved in the electoral system are being strengthened. Another focus of German efforts is the development of a legal order and moves to combat corruption.

Compared to 2001, the human rights situation in Afghanistan has improved markedly. Universal human rights are firmly enshrined in the Afghan constitution, but they are far from being part of everyday reality. This is an ongoing process and will be a long-term task for the Afghan government.

Better living conditions for a more stable and more secure country

Over the last ten years the people of Afghanistan have been given much better prospects. Educational opportunities have been improved across the nation. The infrastructure for transport, energy, drinking water and irrigation has been developed, opening up long-term prospects of employment and income generation. Progress has been made in the agricultural and trading sectors, and in the extractive sector; Afghan.

For the first time ever Afghanistan can now provide primary medical care for a large percentage of the population. This positive trend will help underpin security and stability in Afghanistan in the medium and long term.