Dobriansky Pledges Continuing U.S. Support for Rebuilding Afghanistan
(Announces $1 million for Afghan environmental rehabilitation) (1590)
Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky told the
media in Kabul that the United States is committed to supporting
Afghans, especially women, as they rebuild their country. Dobriansky
spoke as she was departing Kabul on January 9.
"The United States plans to stand shoulder to shoulder with
Afghanistan, in other words, we have a long-term commitment to the
reconstruction and humanitarian needs of Afghanistan during this time
of transition," she said.
"[T]his has been an extraordinary visit, renewing our faith in the
determination and courage of Afghans, especially Afghan women, to
emerge from what I think can be described as the dark night of the
Taliban to build a society that serves your needs and, ultimately,
that becomes an example of the triumph of the human spirit," she
added.
"We care a great deal about Afghanistan's future," Dobriansky said.
Following the historic meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council in
Kabul, and meetings with President Karzai and other Afghan officials,
Dobriansky announced an additional U.S. contribution of $1 million to
support environmental rehabilitation in Afghanistan.
"The Afghan Conservation Corps will support economic growth and
political stability through rehabilitation of forests, dams, aquifers,
irrigation systems and the promotion of soil conservation," Dobriansky
said. The program will provide training and cash for work
opportunities for Afghans, in particular for returning refugees.
Noting that political stability and human rights are complementary
goals, Dobriansky also announced a pledge to help fund the Afghan
Independent Human Rights Commission.
Following is the text of Under Secretary Dobriansky's departure
statement in Kabul on January 9, 2003.
(begin transcript)
DEPARTURE STATEMENT BY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR GLOBAL AFFAIRS
PAULA DOBRIANSKY IN KABUL, AFGHANISTAN, JANUARY 9, 2002
Good afternoon to all of you and thank you for coming. Our delegation
has just concluded a very fruitful two-day visit focused on supporting
Afghans, especially women, as they rebuild their country. I believe
all of you should have in your press packet a list of our entire
delegation members and many of them have just come in and are seated
right there. Now our primary order of business was to convene the
second meeting of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. It is a
public-private partnership dedicated to mobilizing resources to help
Afghan women obtain the training and education they were long denied.
I co-chair the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council along with Minister Sarabi,
the Minister of Women's Affairs, and Foreign Minister Abdullah. The
council itself was established last year by President Bush and
President Karzai.
Now this morning, as a delegation, we had meeting with President
Karzai. He received our delegation members and our message to the
President was as follows: First, we indicated to him the importance we
attach to our relationship with Afghanistan. We care a great deal
about Afghanistan's future. We also had indicated to him that the
United States plans to stand shoulder to shoulder with Afghanistan, in
other words, we have a long-term commitment to the reconstruction and
humanitarian needs of Afghanistan during this time of transition. We
also talked about the importance of trying to help Afghans move
forward on their blueprint of action, meaning that we can provide
help, assistance, resources, guidance, but we want to be guided by
Afghans in different areas by what they deem to be the appropriate
steps forward.
Also, significantly, we talked with President Karzai about the
establishment of the Women Resource Centers and, of course, indicated
to him that yesterday we had a signing ceremony, in fact, with
Minister Abdullah as well as Minister Sarabi in which we had indicated
that the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is
committed to contributing $2.5 million dollars for the creation,
meaning the construction, of Women Resource Centers in 14 provinces.
And with President Karzai, we told him that this, we believe,
complements the very strategy that he has articulated, the importance
of taking action outside of Kabul and going into the provinces. In
this case, very importantly, the Women Resource Centers would be
constructed in 14 of the some 32 provinces here in Afghanistan. In
addition, we also talked a bit about the one million dollars grant
which we are contributing towards education at the Women Resource
Centers. Specifically, we will provide one million dollars for
educational programs in these centers. Education programs that will
support literacy programs, programs relevant to human rights and
learning about and knowing one's rights as well as the importance and
development of small businesses, micro-enterprises, and the management
of non-governmental organizations.
Now let me also say that during yesterday and today we also talked
about the issue of how a country's future depends not only on
education but also on economic opportunities. This is something that
cannot be done by government alone, here there has to be complementary
action undertaken by the private sector. Through the U.S.-Afghan
Women's Council, we are creating public-private partnerships to train
women and provide these types of opportunities. For example, yesterday
the delegation saw the results, in fact, of an income-generating
project launched by First Lady Laura Bush. This was relevant to March
21, the opening of schools here in Afghanistan and providing uniforms
for schoolgirls. At the Women Resource Center, we say in fact, women
working on the school uniforms and this is an income-generating
project. The U.S. Government sent materials that were donated by
American companies to Afghanistan. The Ministry of Women's Affairs set
up a sewing center where Afghan women are earning an income by making
school uniforms for girls.
Now today, we had, among a number of opportunities, we went to see the
Widow's Bakery which is run by the World Food Program. As you may
know, the Widow's Bakery provides an income for those widows by making
bread. The bread in turn is provided to those who are needy in Kabul.
I have to say that it was very striking in terms of having the
opportunity of meeting these women, speaking with them and seeing the
dedication, the earnestness which they attach to the work. It was very
gratifying. It was also very gratifying having also the opportunity to
meet a number of the beneficiaries of their product, the bread. We
also visited a women's resource center where there are literacy
classes being conducted and having an opportunity to speak to the
classes, the classes of young girls of different ages who we spoke to.
We spoke to them about their dreams, about their aspirations.
Let me also mention the United States is supporting a unique
environmental rehabilitation, employment and training program
implemented by the Afghan Government in partnership with UN agencies.
The Afghan Conservation Corps will support economic growth and
political stability through rehabilitation of forests, dams, aquifers,
irrigation systems and the promotion of soil conservation. At the same
time that it does this, that it has these environmental benefits, it
will also provide cash for work opportunities and train Afghans, in
particular refugees, in the skills needed to rebuild Afghanistan. I am
pleased to announce today that the United States Government will
contribute one million dollars towards the establishment of this
program of the Afghan Conservation Corps. We would like to see this
program jump-started.
This morning we also had the occasion to have a round-table discussion
with representatives from the Constitutional Commission, the Judicial
Commission, as well as the Human Rights Commission. I think this
discussion was important because these representatives tried to give
us an indication of their work, and also the importance of the
integration of their work. Clearly securing human rights, including
the rights of women, is an essential part of ensuring, overall, as we
see it, our goals and Afghanistan's goals here in Afghanistan.
Political stability and the protection of human rights are
complementary goals. To help advance these goals, I am also pleased to
announce today that the United States will obligate funding this month
for the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. This is in
addition to the financial support that we have rendered to the
Constitutional and Judicial Commissions. Clearly a functioning
independent judiciary, a strong and independent human rights
commission, and a professional civil service will help form the
backbone of Afghanistan as envisioned by the Bonn Agreement.
So let me say, in conclusion, we have had, I would say, really a most
moving, a most productive, I think, a most constructive time here in
Afghanistan. I will say also as I began with this morning, our
discussion with President Karzai was an opportunity for us to
underscore with him the importance of our relationship. We also
appreciated his thoughts about the importance of our work, the
importance of the U.S.-Afghan Women's Council. We Americans and
Afghans share a common set of objectives - an Afghanistan that is
democratic, that is secure, that is stable, that is at peace with its
neighbors, that is prosperous and that is respectful of human rights,
including the rights of women. Let me say that this has been an
extraordinary visit, renewing our faith in the determination and
courage of Afghans, especially Afghan women to emerge from what, I
think can be described as the dark night of the Taliban to build a
society that serves your needs and, ultimately, that becomes an
example of the triumph of the human spirit.
(end transcript)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
