Chairmen, dear colleagues, I am pleased to appear before you again to talk about Canada's crucial role in the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan.
Canada is one of Afghanistan's largest donors. In 2006-2007, Canada allocated $139 million for reconstruction efforts. We support development programs in Afghanistan that directly meet people's needs. Our goal is to help the people of Afghanistan to own their development.
I visited Afghanistan twice, six months apart. I met with representatives of the Government of Afghanistan who are deeply committed to rebuilding their country, including Mr. Zia, the Minister of Rural Recovery and Development, and Mr. Atmar, the Minister of Education. We talked about the issues involved in reconstruction and the progress achieved, and I can tell you that we are achieving results. I was able to see this for myself in the field.
In April 2007, for example, I visited a project in Sola Kalay, a village 25 kilometres from Kandahar. I sat down with members of the community development council to talk about the irrigation project they are executing through the National Solidarity Program, which is largely funded by Canada.
The National Solidarity Program—the NSP—and the Microfinance Investment Support Facility for Afghanistan—MISFA—are yielding extraordinary results. As of March 31, 2007, MISFA had provided savings and loan services to over 335,000 people, including more than 230,000 women. As of April 30, 2007, the NSP numbered 16,700 community development councils throughout Afghanistan, 27,000 approved projects and 11,400 completed projects.
As you know, the greatest difficulties are experienced in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, especially because of the precarious security situation. For this reason, Canada has multiplied its reconstruction assistance to Kandahar by almost eight times since 2005-2006; our aid has increased to $39 million in 2006-2007. Of this amount, we have invested over $20 million to meet people's basic needs.
Another of our priorities is to guide Afghanistan's fledgling democracy to maturity. For democracy to be stronger, people must have confidence in it. For this to happen, a democracy must be able to meet its citizens' basic needs. People are fully entitled to this human right.
As you can see, Messrs. Chairmen, all of our areas of intervention are closely interrelated. We must balance all these dimensions, so that the democratically-elected government can become stronger and people can have faith in it. A delicate balance exists in Afghanistan, and we must thus be perseverant.
Among our efforts, we support initiatives to strengthen human rights—especially the rights of the most vulnerable, such as women and girls.
Messrs. Chairmen, I would like to remind you here of the tragic events of this week, in which two women journalists from Afghanistan were killed. These tragic events strengthen our determination to promote a culture of human rights in Afghanistan, especially the right of women and girls.
On my first visit to Afghanistan, I met with Ms. Ghanzanfar, the Minister of Women's Affairs. She too is bravely doing her job. Let me remind you that in September 2006, the person responsible for women's affairs in Kandahar province was killed in front of her home after criticizing how the Taliban treated women. This must change.
Rights and Democracy, a Canadian organization, is working with decision-makers in the Government of Afghanistan, Parliament, and civil society to promote and protect women's rights, especially by proposing family law reforms.
We will also continue to strengthen the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission. We want to provide more support for the commission's activities. It promotes human rights; it investigates human rights violations; it monitors and supervises the treatment of prisoners and inmates. The commission is a brand new institution that is establishing its influence on society. We are helping it to do so.
Mr. Sorenson, Mr. Casson, we still have many challenges to meet in Afghanistan, but we are on the right track. Our approach yields concrete results every day. I would like to remind you of a quote from Professor Barnett Rubin, Director of the Center on International Cooperation at the University of New York, a world-renowned specialist on Afghanistan.
He said that Canada is “one of the best donors in terms of the way it gives assistance”.
Thank you for your attention.