ISAS Briefs

Delegations from over 60 countries and 20 international organisations gathered in Tokyo on 8 July 2012 and discussed plans for economic development in Afghanistan. The delegates pledged a total of US$ 16 billion in multi-donor aid to fill the Afghan government’s fiscal gap and to develop the Afghan economy over the next four years. The event attracted widespread media coverage – inside and outside Afghanistan – and raised hopes that the international community will stand by Afghanistan in the coming years. While this seemingly generous pledge by the international community does signal hopes ahead, if the Afghan government fails to correct the current state of affairs, this US$ 16 billion will be as much a waste as the tens of billions of international aid has been so far. To go ahead and create real hope for the future of Afghanistan, the Karzai Administration needs to come out of its 11-year old cocoon and bring about some bold changes in its economic development strategy.