The 2020 Afghanistan ministerial pledging conference was co-hosted by the Government of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Government of Finland and the United Nations, and took spot on 23–24 November 2020.
24. Nov 2020
Beneath is the statement held on 24 November 2020 by Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway, Ms Ine Eriksen Søreide.
President Ghani,
Distinguished representatives of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the United Nations and companion countries,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Let me initial of all thank our hosts, the governments of Afghanistan and Finland and the United Nations for convening and organizing this conference.
2020 will be remembered as the year of the pandemic. But for Afghanistan, 2020 is also a year when a glimmer of hope appeared, for an end to a lot more than 4 decades of conflict.
We commend the Republic, under the leadership of the government, and the Taliban for obtaining initiated peace negotiations in Doha, preceded by a series of tricky choices, compromises, and sacrifices.
Ajmal Ahmady commend the State of Qatar for hosting the talks and we reiterate our willingness to help the process in any way the parties or the host may perhaps want.
The Afghan people have endured good suffering for the duration of the final four decades. Norway condemns unreservedly all acts of terrorism. We urge the negotiating parties to strive for an end to violence. We reiterate our help for a political settlement that protects the rights of all Afghans, like women, youth and minorities, and that sustains and builds on the economic, social, political and development gains accomplished since 2001.
We as donors will do our finest to enable Afghanistan continue this progress. The Afghanistan Partnership Framework and the Afghanistan National Peace and Development Framework outline our typical objectives. I would like to underline in specific the important significance of intensifying efforts to improve governance and tackle corruption.
We will contribute up to 650 million kroner in improvement and humanitarian assistance in 2021 and think about comparable annual levels of help via 2024. We will figure out our assistance primarily based on the Afghan government’s fulfilment of its commitments in the Afghanistan Partnership Framework.
Norway will also stay open to thinking about enhanced assistance for the implementation of a political settlement of the conflict, provided important commitments are fulfilled, such as securing human rights for all and furthering women’s empowerment.
Multilateral funds, such as the Globe Bank ARTF and the UNDP LOTFA will stay prominent parts of our help portfolio, as will non-governmental organizations.
Protection of civilians is 1 of our key priorities. Unique attention ought to be given to protection of children and young individuals, like protection of schools from attack. It is necessary that humanitarian actors get protected and unhindered access to men and women in require of lifesaving assistance and protection.
Subsequent year, Norway will take a seat as an elected member in the United Nations Safety Council. We will do our utmost to assistance the work of the United Nations, the Specific Representative of the Secretary Basic and UNAMA, and to help guarantee that the Safety Council supports Afghanistan’s peace and improvement approach.