Thank you.
Since my last appearance before this committee, two new quarterly reports to Parliament have been issued by the cabinet committee on Afghanistan. These quarterly reports have reported on the progress being made on Canada's six priorities and three signature projects.
The latest quarterly report covered the period from April to June 2010 and focused on how priorities and projects are supporting the delivery of basic services to Afghans. As Minister Cannon noted in his last appearance, while the situation in Afghanistan remains volatile and challenging, there have been noticeable improvements in a number of key areas. Allow me to highlight a few.
up to 1,800 hectares of land benefitted from improved irrigation as a result of Canada's work on the Dahla dam;
around 400,000 children in Kandahar province received polio vaccinations during two vaccination campaigns;
and Canadian funding helped the UN World Food Programme provide over 15,000 tonnes of food nationally to over two million Afghans.
Furthermore, Canada made advancements in the provision of new health measures for two highly vulnerable groups, pregnant women and children under the age of five, with 78,000 women receiving iron and folic acid supplements, and 140,000 children receiving micronutrient powders.
Because of our efforts and the dedication and commitment of Afghans, there are more police and soldiers protecting Afghan communities and Afghan interests. There are more children in schools, particularly girls. Food crops are replacing the production of opium. Basic governance is taking hold, and basic services are being built.
As ever, we must place our results in context. Afghanistan remains a dynamic and difficult environment.
As well, over the past several months, there have been a number of significant events both in Afghanistan and internationally which have contributed to the current situation in the country and the prospects for the future.
At the London Conference in January, the international community and the Afghan government set a direction toward improving governance, building a stronger connection between the Afghan government and its people, and ensuring Afghanistan's long-term ability to meet its security challenges.
That process continued at the Kabul Conference in June which assessed progress from London and developed concrete plans for continuing improvement.
As well as being the first major international conference hosted and organized by the Afghan government, the Kabul conference also initiated the development of a plan to transfer lead security authority to the Afghan government by 2014. This plan was adopted by the heads of state of the Government of Afghanistan and ISAF contributing countries at their meeting in Lisbon last weekend.
As well during this period, parliamentary elections were held in Afghanistan, the official results of which were announced earlier today. While the international community has taken note of the irregularities and fraud committed, the hard work of the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral Complaints Commission to identify and deal with these problems marks a significant step forward for Afghanistan's electoral institutions. In the coming weeks, a new Parliament will start its work on behalf of the Afghan people, another step forward in Afghanistan's path to improving its democratic governance, and an essential element in Afghanistan's efforts to build stability and sustainable peace.
Also in recent months, while the security situation has certainly remained challenging, the U.S. troop surge has helped achieve progress. The surge has permitted a further refocusing of the Canadian Forces area of operations to critical districts of Panjwayi and Dand.
While the leadership of one ANA kandak, or battalion, trained and mentored by the Canadian Forces has been transferred to support the establishment of new kandaks elsewhere, two new Afghan National Army kandaks arrived in Canada's area of operations in September, and they're now being trained and mentored by Canadian Forces personnel.
Mr. Chair, it's a fact that progress has been challenging. Change has been incremental. But in the midst of conflict and in light of all the obstacles we have faced, we are making progress.
Last week, ministers announced Canada's new role in Afghanistan that will build on significant progress in the areas of security, diplomacy, human rights and development.
Canada's new non-combat role post-2011 will be centered in Kabul and will focus on four key areas, namely: investing in the future of Afghan children and youth through development programming in education and health; advancing security, the rule of law and human rights, including through the provision of up to 950 military trainers and support personnel for Afghan security forces; promoting regional diplomacy; and helping deliver humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.
Our developmental and humanitarian assistance will be channelled through trusted implementing partners for programs aligned with the priorities of the Afghan government. We will address critical food security and emergency needs through food assistance, disaster preparedness, mine clearance, and education.
Moreover, the rights of women and girls will be a particular cross-cutting focus of all these programs.
In sum, Canada continues to make real progress in Afghanistan, but this work is not yet complete. The objective remains unchanged: to help Afghans build a more secure, stable, and self-sufficient Afghanistan that is no longer a safe haven for terrorists.
My colleagues and I would be pleased to take your questions.
