Foreign Affairs committee  I think it's clear that there is a lot of work that needs to be done to improve security. Indeed some of the spending by the international community is to build Afghan security forces, and that of course is correct. We are saying we need to recognize the extent of the destruction

Foreign Affairs committee  I would certainly agree that there have been significant strides forward in a number of areas, but I think it is important to recognize that in many areas of Afghanistan--and we tried to demonstrate this in our report--there are still areas of very severe poverty. In those condit

Foreign Affairs committee  I think the UN may have a role in this. I'm not exactly sure what that would be; perhaps they could help facilitate the development of a strategy. We believe it should be led by civil society so that it retains a high degree of legitimacy in the eyes of the population who would b

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you very much for those questions. Peace-building reflects the nature of Afghan society. I think it is one of the most communal and tribal societies in the world, and peace-building works at that level. It works with families and communities. I think it's clear from the e

Foreign Affairs committee  I think you made a very pertinent observation there, that we cannot seek to create the same kinds of societies and governments that we have in western countries. I think it is possible to deliver aid in rural areas, and there are examples of where that has happened. Going back

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. I am pleased to hear that there are donors that are seeking to promote development from a local level and build it up from there. I think that is the right approach. I should say I think CIDA is doing a good job in Afghanistan. Of course there are some areas where we

Foreign Affairs committee  I'll speak in English, if I may. I'd like to thank the committee for inviting me to speak. I'd like to just talk for a few minutes, firstly, about the background to the situation in Afghanistan and then address briefly three issues--rural development, aid effectiveness, and peac