The Ministry of Foreign Affairs THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

Transcription

1 The Ministry of Foreign Affairs THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN AND REPORT ON THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2010

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3 TABLE OF CONTENTS THE HELMAND PLAN Introduction Framework for the Danish engagement Security the Danish military effort Security the Danish police effort Politics and governance Development and stabilization Intermediate objectives and benchmarks for REPORT ON THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2010 The Danish military and police effort The Danish civilian effort Annual report on the benchmarks for the Helmand province in

4 INTRODUCTION The NATO summit of November 2010 marked a milestone in the relationship between the Afghan government and the international community. The summit saw Afghanistan and the 48 countries that are militarily engaged in Afghanistan agreeing on a very clear common perspective on future planning. The common goal is for the Afghans to assume responsibility for the security situation across the whole country by the end of In some provinces the transfer of responsibility can begin already in This decision makes way for a shift of balance in the engagement of the international community over the coming years towards an increased civilian effort and a more withdrawn and reduced military role. This development is consistent with the Danish Afghanistan strategy for the period of and is described in detail in this Helmand plan, which proposes changes to the composition of the Danish engagement over the coming years. As presented in the Danish Helmand Plan for 2010, the Danish efforts in the past year have sought to create the framework and conditions necessary to facilitate a adjustment and reduction of the Danish troop con-tingent beginning this year. By the end of 2014 Denmark will in line with British statements no longer have combat units in Afghani- 2 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

5 stan. In the coming years Denmark will give priority to the efforts to increase the capacity of the Afghan security forces in order to allow the Afghans themselves to take over responsibility for security across the entire country. Among other things this will be achieved through an increased focus on training of the Afghan army and the Afghan police, as well as increased support for Afghan army and police operations. This means that the Danish military role will eventually change from the current role of combat and partnership to having its main emphasis on training, advising and support leading up to The Danish Helmand Plan for has been prepared in close coordination with the United Kingdom (UK), which holds the overall leadership of the military and civilian efforts of NATO in central Helmand. The detailed implementation of the plan will be coordinated with our close cooperation partners in ISAF and in consideration of the actual conditions on the ground. Therefore, the aim for 2011 and 2012 is to adjust and reduce the Danish combat effort in order to move the focus away from combat and towards increased training, education and advising as well as enablers. At the same time the Danish effort will be focused around the town of Gereshk. The adjustment allows for a minor reduction amounting to some 30 soldiers of the Danish troop contingent during the second half of Exactly which soldiers and when the reduction will take place will be decided based on the situation on the ground. The aim is, however, that the reduction takes place without affecting the ability of the Danish battle group to carry out its primary tasks. As a part of this process the battle group intends to make plans for the transfer of the forward patrol bases in the so-called Patrol Base Line to the Afghan security forces in August It is expected that the increased focus on training, educating and advising the Afghan security forces will have provided the conditions for adjustment of one of the two companies in the Danish battle group currently designated for combat into a number of sought-after training, education and advising contributions of The adjustment of the company designated for combat is planned to take place in relation to the rotation of Danish troops in February The adjustment will take place under an unchanged troop level of about 720 troops. During the second half of 2012 the combined Danish troop contingent INTRODUCTION 3

6 will be further reduced to about 650 persons. The reduction will commence with the arrival of Team 14 in August As the reduction is implemented, the Danish battle group will be reorganized into a Danish-led battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors, as well as a number of enablers. In this way, the reorganization will constitute yet another step in the shift from combat toward training, advising, education and enablers. Leading up to the end of 2014 the battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors along with a number of enablers will be sustainable. However, the composi- according to needs. In this case it is expected to be possible to gradually lower the overall troop level according to the situation on the ground during the lead-up to the end of Further adjustments and reductions of the Danish troop contingent in 2013 and 2014 will be negotiated among the political parties behind the Agreement on the engagement in Afghanistan no later than at the end of The Danish Government and the parties to the Agreement agree that by the end of 2014 in accordance with British statements there will no longer be Danish combat units in Afghanistan. Beyond 2014 it is expected that there will still be a need for an international military presence in Afghanistan as a part of the long-term partnership of NATO with Afghanistan. In this case, a Danish military presence would consist mainly of advisors, instructors and enablers. The Danish engagement in Afghanistan beyond 2014 will be negotiated by the parties to the Agreement over the course of A current status of the ISAF military effort, shows that the resources necessary were in place at the end of 2010 after a troop surge over the past year. Hereby a substantial prerequisite for the of NATO was provided. The troop crease in the international engagement in Helmand. The number of ISAF troops in the province is now 30,000, up from only 3,000 in Some 15,000 Afghan soldiers are currently deployed under the ISAF Regional Command Southwest (the military headquarters covering the provinces of Helmand and Nimroz). In the area of operations of the Danish units, this has meant the addition of two Afghan kandaks (an Afghan battalionsized unit of about personnel) in April Alongside the aforementioned changes to the military troop contingent, the Danish civilian efforts will be strengthened in the coming years. The civilian effort holds a much more 4 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

7 long-term perspective than the military effort, and is to be strengthened as the security situation improves. Danish development aid has doubled in the last years and will continue to grow. Thus, Denmark will increase its development aid by DKK 100 million in the period of This places Afghanistan as the second-largest recipient of Danish development assistance. In 2010 the presence of Afghan civilian authorities in Helmand has also been markedly strengthened. 11 out of 14 districts now have district governors, years ago. Despite this progress great challenges persist in securing that by the end of 2014 Afghan authorities have achieved the capacity necessary to maintain security, provide responsible governance and continue the development process, hereby making the transfer of responsibility sustainable. The Danish civilian effort will focus mainly on state building, living conditions and education. As part of the state building efforts increased focus will be put on legal institutions and the rule of law, e.g. support for courtroom facilities, the prison service. In line with the increase of the overall development aid, and in keeping with the preparations for the Afghan takeover of the responsibility in 2014, Denmark will increase its focus on capacity building in the Afghan civilian administration. It is essential that the Afghans themselves assume active responsibility and ownership of this process. This can efforts compared to Denmark overseeing the work, but it is necessary to create Afghan ownership in order to ensure long-term sustainability. The risk associated with an engagement in a fragile state like Afghanistan is comparatively higher than other places. This is true with regard to security, the corruption. Even though greater risk tolerance is required, it remains important to ensure the best possible results of the Danish development assistance, which will therefore be evaluated in The reorganization and adjustments to the emphasis in the Danish efforts are consistent with the Danish strategy for Afghanistan ( Denmark s Engagement in Afghanistan ), which, along with the Danish Helmand Plans, Danish engagement in Afghanistan. INTRODUCTION 5

8 FRAMEWORK FOR THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT The framework of the Danish engagement is set out by the Danish strategy for Afghanistan for the period of , supported by a broad majority of the Danish Parliament (Folketinget). The strategy complies with the resolutions of the United Nations and states the objectives of the military and civilian efforts until the end of Furthermore, the strategy supports the goals set out in the Afghans own development plan, the Afghan National Development Strategy (ANDS). The parties behind the Danish engagement in Afghanistan also negotiate the more Helmand plans. The mandate for the Danish troop contingent to the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan is provided by decision of the Danish parliament (Folketinget) B 24 of 9 December 2008, which sets a maximum troop level of 750 persons. 6 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN THE NATO SUMMIT AND THE TRANSFER OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THE AFGHANS At the Kabul Conference in July 2010 the international community committed its support to the Afghan government s transition plan (Inteqal). The plan will constitute the overall concept for the Afghan government in cooperation with the international community to achieve the objective of assuming full security responsibility by the end of The NATO summit in Lisbon in November 2010 forged clarity on the future efforts in Afghanistan. The Af-ghan government and the international community, including the UN and the EU, agreed on the end of 2014 as the target for transferring the security responsibility to the Afghans. The formal transfer of responsibility in place already over the course of The formal transition will commence province by province. This, however, does not exclude the gradual transfer of, for in-stance, security responsibility at the lower district level or in urban areas. Decisions related to the formal process are made on the basis of the Joint Afghan NATO Inteqal Board (JANIB). The American annual review of the strategy for Afghanistan and Pakistan in December 2010 did not foresee changes to the American strategy, but supported the conclusions from the Lisbon summit on the efforts of the ISAF in Afghanistan. Based on the progress achieved, the review concluded that the process in Afghanistan is on the right track, and that room has been created to considering developments on the ground begin a responsible reduction of American troops from July At the same time, the review underscored that important challenges connected to

9 KEY OBJECTIVES OF THE STRATEGY FOR AFGHANISTAN : FRAMEWORK FOR THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT 7

10 the end of 2014, the framework has been established for a joint perspective on future planning for the alliance and the Afghan government. areas like corruption, the quality of the security forces and governance still lie ahead. The progress made is still fragile and not yet irreversible. CLARITY CONCERNING THE PERSPEC- TIVES LEADING UP TO 2014 With the conclusion at the NATO summit that the Afghans are to assume responsibility for the entire country by During the NATO summit the ISAF nations also signalled the will to main- lead-up to the full transfer of responsibility in Furthermore, NATO and Afghanistan concluded an agreement on a long-term partnership. This was an important signal to Afghanistan and the region that NATO will cooperate with and be present in Afghanistan even beyond In terms of transferring responsibility to the Afghans, NATO/ISAF plans the efforts for the coming years based on the objectives and benchmarks that must be met by the end of 2014 regarding the three main components of the transition: Security, governance 8 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

11 and development. It is the goal that by the end of 2014 Afghan security forces can irreversibly take over responsibility for security across all of Afghanistan, that there are administrative systems and capacities in place that allow Afghanistan to independently continue the development process supported by the international community, and, lastly, that Afghan institutions can exercise that is acceptable to the Afghan people (see textbox at page 11 with indicators for the development in 2014) As the Afghan leadership and its capacity gradually grows in the course of the transition process leading up to 2014, the role of the international community will gradually evolve in the direction of a more withdrawn role of support and guidance. On the issue of security this means that also the Danish military role will in time shift from the current role of combat and partnership with Afghan forces to a phase of increased training, education and efforts to support for Afghan forces, and then to a concluding phase, during which the supporting role will be the most prominent. In line with the establishing of authorities the international support for governance and development will gradually be adjusted to predominantly support Afghan pri-orities and programmes through the budgets of national authorities, as opposed to the international presence having a direct role in the execution of projects through, for instance, the Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRT). In the Helmand province the transition process will see the gradual withdrawal of the PRT in Lashkar Gah and the replacement by a more traditional development effort in which national authorities play an in-creasingly sig- provincial administration achieves the capacity necessary to independently exercise its authority. Concerning the problems of long-term development such as governance, education and economic growth, there is a need for a sustained political engagement in Afghanistan and for long-term cooperation on development even beyond The civilian effort entails a longer perspective than the military effort and is to be strengthened and becomes more stabile. Moving ahead, Denmark will focus on capacity building in the Afghan civilian administration in order to ensure increased Afghan ownership and thereby sustainability. Denmark is an active and determined eration. Denmark works for the multilateral system to become legitimate, FRAMEWORK FOR THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT 9

12 efforts in Afghanistan. The transition process demands that multilateral players such as the UN and the World Bank strengthen and coordinate their efforts in order to best support Afghan governance and development. Therefore, that multilateral players are taking on the tasks within their mandate in the ing a presence across all of Afghanistan, including the Helmand province and other Southern regions, where the security situation is still fragile. Therefore, Denmark will work to increase the en-gagement of the UN in Afghanistan as the Danish civilian engagement increases and the Afghan transition process picks up speed. TRANSITION IN HELMAND The spring of 2011 in Helmand will see the preparation of a provincial plan (The Helmand Plan) covering the period of The plan is to ensure a focused prioritization of the combined civilian and military efforts in the province in support of Afghan ownership and exercise of authority. The provincial plan will be prepared in close cooperation between the provincial governor and the international civilian and military presence in Helmand. This includes the involvement of key serving in the Helmand province. The plan is based on an individual transition assessment of the districts in the province. The plan will contain transi- and will constitute the basis for planning towards In the main focus will continue to be on the six central and most densely populated districts, including the Nahr-e-Saraj district (where the Danish battle group is located) with the town of Gereshk, which makes up the economic centre in the Helmand province. Denmark is engaged in the preparation of the upcoming four-year provincial plan for Helmand. Hereby it is ensured that the Danish efforts be they civilian, police or military are consistent with the plans and priorities of the Afghan authorities as well as the international partners of Denmark in Helmand. The Danish Helmand Plan has therefore been prepared in consultation with Afghan as well as international partners. Despite the fact that the challenges faced in the Helmand province are substantial, it is possible that the transition process can begin relatively early. 10 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

13 security situation Helmand is expected to be one of the last provinces to complete the process. It is crucial that the transfer of responsibility to Afghan authorities takes place in such a way that the risk of relapses is minimized. The transfer should be executed only once it has been ensured that the Afghan authorities are capable of carrying out the necessary tasks on their own. This is why the transition is not just about security in a narrow sense, but is closely connected to good governance and development, since the local population must be able to trust that the authorities live up to their responsibility and provide conditions for a reasonable way of life. PROGRESS INDICATORS IN 2014 ON THE THREE MAIN COMPONENTS OF THE TRAN- SITION STRATEGY (SOURCE: NATO) SECURITY GOVERNANCE DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT 11

14 THE DANISH EFFORTS IN TASK FORCE HELMAND AND THE HELMAND PROVINCIAL RECON-STRUCTION TEAM (PRT) The Danish engagement in Helmand is carried out as a fully integrated civilian and military effort in close cooperation with Afghan authorities, Great Britain and the United States. In 2011 and 2012 the Danish engagement in Helmand will focus on increasing the capacity of the Afghan security forces as well as the provincial and district authorities. The bulk of the Danish military contingent consists of a battle group in the area of Gereshk belonging to the British-led Task Force Helmand (TFH). As of 1 June 2010 TFH has been a part of the newly formed ISAF Regional Command Southwest, RC(SW), which is responsible for the provinces of Helmand and Nimroz. NATO made the decision to form RC(SW) in the wake of the can troops into the Helmand province, which brought the total number of ISAF soldiers in Helmand to 30,000. At the provincial level the overall military and civilian planning of the effort takes place in a partnership between the Afghan provincial authorities in Lashkar Gah, the ISAF RC(SW) as well as the British-led PRT. Numbering some 200 staff, the civilianled PRT in Helmand is one of the largest of the 27 PRTs in Afghanistan. The PRT is made up of both civilian (diplomats, advisors, experts) and military staff in order to ensure coordination between military forces, civilian efforts and the Afghan authorities. In 2011 Denmark will be represented by six to eight staff members posted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, as well as Denmark s senior civilian representative, who is the deputy head of the PRT, charged with the responsibility for strategic planning and transition. Among the posted staff are three stabilization advisors, who, among other things, are charged with planning and carrying out stabilization efforts in the area of deployment of the Danish battle group in Nahr-e-Saraj. 12 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

15 WHAT IS A PROVINCIAL RECONSTRUCTION TEAM (PRT)? FRAMEWORK FOR THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT 13

16 SECURITY the Danish military effort In the coming years Denmark will give priority to the effort of increasing the capacity of the Afghan security forces. Among other things, this will be accomplished through an increased focus on training of Afghan army and police units, as well as by increasing support for the operations in which these units partake. In time this will allow the Afghans to assume security responsibility across the whole country themselves. This means that over time the Danish military role will change from the current phase of combat and partnership with Afghan forces, to a phase of increased efforts of training, education and support for Afghan forces, and, wards 2014, during which the supporting role will be the most prominent. The Danish Helmand Plan for has been prepared in close coordination with the UK, which holds the overall leadership of the military and civilian efforts of NATO in central Helmand. The detailed implementation of the plan will be coordinated with our close cooperation partners in ISAF and in consideration of the actual conditions on the ground. Therefore, the objective for 2011 and 2012 is to adjust and reduce the Danish combat effort in a way that the focus is shifted away from combat towards an increased effort of training, education, advising and support. At the same time the Danish effort will be focused around the town of Gereshk. The adjustment allows for a minor reduction amounting to some 30 soldiers of the Danish troop contingent in the second half of Exactly which soldiers and when the reduction will take place will be decided based on the situation on the ground. The aim is, however, that the reduction takes place without WHAT IS AN EDUCATION AND TRAINING CONTRIBUTION? 14 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

17 WHAT IS AN ENABLER? affecting the ability of the Danish battle group to carry out its primary tasks. As a part of this process the battle group intends, among other things, to make plans for the transfer of the forward operating patrol bases in the so-called Patrol Base Line to the Afghan security forces in August It is expected that the increased focus on training, education and advising of Afghan security forces will have pro- two companies in the Danish battle group currently designated for combat into a number of sought-after training, education and advising contributions as well as enablers. The adjustment of the company designated for combat is planned to take place in relation to the rotation of the Danish troop contingent in February The adjustment will take place within an unchanged level of 720 troops. During the second half of 2012 the size of the overall Danish troop contingent will be reduced to about 650 troops. The reduction will begin with the arrival of Team 14 in August As the reduction is implemented the Danish battle group will be adjusted into a Danish-led battalion of trainers, mentors and advi-sors along with a number of enablers. In this way the adjustment will constitute yet another step in the shift away from combat towards training, advising, and education and enablers. Leading up to the end of 2014 the battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors can be sustained along with a number of enablers. However, the composition according to needs during this period. In this case it is expected to be possible to gradually lower the overall troop level according to the situation on the SECURITY THE DANISH MILITARY EFFORT 15

18 ground during the lead-up to the end of Further adjustments and reductions of the Danish troop contingent in 2013 and 2014 will be negotiated among the parties behind the Agreement on the engagement in Afghanistan no later than at the end of The Danish Government and the parties behind the Agreement on the engagement in Afghanistan agree that by the end of 2014 comparable to similarly stated British intentions there will no longer be Danish combat units in Afghanistan. It is anticipated that there will still be a need for a Danish military presence in Afghanistan after 2014 as part of the long-term partnership between NATO and Afghanistan. In this case, a Danish military presence will consist mainly of advisors, instructors and enablers. The Danish engagement in Afghanistan beyond 2014 will be negotiated by the parties to the Agreement over the course of Over the coming years the ISAF forces in Afghanistan will contribute to creating the conditions for further progress in the area of civilian development efforts. These conditions are created by maintaining the military pressure on the insurgents, which also includes maintaining the initiative over the insurgents and consolidating the positions captured. Militarily the coming years therefore present the need to continue the ISAF strategy that focuses on establishing security zones around the Afghan population centres. The effort is conducted in close cooperation with a continuously growing number of Afghan security forces. At the same time the efforts to train, educate and support the Afghan security forces are stepped up, allowing them to gradually assume an ever greater part of the security responsibility in Afghanistan. WHAT IS A BATTLE GROUP? the efforts in Southern Afghanistan in 2011 include, among other things that the security zones established in central Helmand and Kandahar are consolidated and con-nected. Hereby priority is given to larger towns and the principal infrastructure, which connects them. 16 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

19 This is done in part to create conditions for increased economic growth, Afghan exercise of authority and the civilian reconstruction effort. The ISAF troop build-up was not fully completed before the end of 2010, when the results of the focused military effort started to show. The situation in Afghanistan shows that progress is possible, and it gives reason for cautious optimism. Despite positive signs the developments can still be turned around. For this reason there is still a need for necessary to struggle to maintain and expand the results achieved thus far. NATO and several close allies, among others, underscore the fact that the situation is still fragile, and that there is still a need for a large military presence. The American December 2010 review of the strategy on Afghanistan and Pakistan also pointed to the need to maintain the current troop levels for some time to come. Since the expansion of ISAF operations in southern Afghanistan in July 2006, Denmark has been one of the largest contributors of troops measured by troops per capita, and has delivered a visible and valued effort. The effort has demanded high costs: As of mid- February Danish soldiers have lost their lives in Afghanistan, among them 34 have fallen in combat, and an additional 151 Danish soldiers have been wounded. As mentioned, the number of international and Afghan troops in the Helmand province in 2010 has grown SECURITY THE DANISH MILITARY EFFORT 17

20 ties. Areas of operations and tasks for the troop contingents of the contributing nations are therefore continuously adjusted according to the situation and priorities. At the national level, some 150,000 soldiers from the Afghan Army had been educated and trained by the end of This amounts to an increase of about 50,000 soldiers in In addition to this some 116,000 policemen had been educated and trained by the end of The total personnel strength of the Afghan security forces exceeds the target set for In 2010 the Danish battle group has, among other things, given priority to partnership and cooperation with Afghan security forces, and has achieved good results and acquired useful experience. The primary partner unit of the battle group is the 3rd Kandak of the 215th Corps, which has gradually developed the ability to operate independently. There is also a so-called highway kandak that maintains security along the East-West running Highway 1, which runs through the Danish area of operations and past the town of Gereshk. In practical terms the partnership with the highway-kandak is managed by American or British units, which are attached to the Danish battle group. For the time being made at the lowest tactical levels. This progress was demonstrated, for instance, when the Afghan parliamentary elections were conducted in September Despite attempts by insurgents to interrupt election procedures the Danish battle group was not activated during Election Day. During an independent deployment towards the end of 2010 the kandak furthermore established the new patrol base of Hazrat in the Danish area of operations. This allowed, among other things, the battalion to close one of the existing patrol WHAT IS CAPACITY BUILDING? bases. During another independent deployment at the beginning of 2011 the 3rd Kandak established the patrol base of Shir Agha. In cooperation with the 18 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

21 3rd Kandak the battle group intends, among other things, to make plans for the transfer of the forward operating patrol bases in the so-called Patrol Base Line to the Afghan security forces in August the future focus on military capacity building will entail a continuation of the close relationship with the Afghan security forces. Obviously, this will increase the possibilities to build up the Afghan police and military, while at the same time increasing risks for Danish soldiers, who will also have to follow the Afghan forces during the execution of dangerous assignments. Even though measures have been taken, the danger security forces to turn against Danish soldiers cannot be excluded. An increased education and training effort is therefore not assessed to reduce the risk of losses among Danish soldiers in the short term. The Afghan society is one of the poorest in the world and is still on its mix of progress and challenges. Obvi- security forces, where the Afghans are likely to opt for solutions that can seem open to criticism seen from a Western point of view. In this question historically, socially and culturally determined factors also come into play. As Afghan ownership increases it is therefore also to be expected that the Afghans will seek to lift the tasks by their own methods, which must be accepted as long as laws, conventions, human rights and the security of Danish troops etc. are not compromised. In cooperating with the Afghan security forces Danish soldiers will not be subject to Afghan command. As part of the transfer of the security responsibility to the Afghans, Afghan authorities will gradually take over the responsibility for more operations. An increased number of arrests performed by Afghan authorities might come into play. Conditions in Afghan detention facilities, as everywhere else, will be subject to international obligations. The capacity of Afghan authorities to handle those detained must therefore be strengthened. Together with relevant allies Denmark will launch a series of initiatives, which will contribute to this (see the paragraph on State building in the chapter on Development and stabilization). Where possible, Danish soldiers will continue to seek to prevent Afghan security forces in using torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, just as Danish soldiers will report on any examples accordingly. As mentioned, the partnership system entails close dialogue and coordination with the Afghan partner units. The combat units able to enter partnerships with Afghan units therefore continue to be instrumental in the build-up of SECURITY THE DANISH MILITARY EFFORT 19

22 Afghan security forces. At the same time, the arrival of Afghan troops and the cooperation experience gained in 2010 have given a more nuanced picture of where the education and training forward. Among other things, the need to streamline the training of commanders and specialists in the Afghan security forces has been made clear. Thus, the education and training effort of the Danish battle group has yielded progress. However, challenges still persist, which is why further expansion of the education and training effort is necessary. DEVELOPING THE DANISH TROOP CONTINGENT FROM 2011 The adjustment of the Danish troop contingent in Afghanistan commenced with the planned rotation of Danish units in February The artillery acquisition radar of the battle group was withdrawn at the turn of the year 2010/2011, and in connection with the rotation in February 2011 a guards unit (combat unit) along with a military police squad have further been withdrawn. As of February 2011 this enables the Dan-ish troop contingent to be supplemented by: An additional police training team of about 21 persons, among them soldiers, including three military police soldiers. Denmark now contributes a total of two police training teams in the area around Gereshk. A special forces contribution of about 15 persons, which will be a part of an American-led Task Force based near Kabul for a period of three to four months beginning in April These troops will work side by side with American special forces, assuming a role of training and partnership. Activities will include, among other things, guidance and support for the preparation and execution of operations by Af-ghan special forces. The aim is to gain valuable experience, which can be put to use during a prospective deployment of a Danish special forces troop contingent that will assume a role of training and partnership in the Helmand province from the turn of the year 2011/2012. Two minor training teams each which are partly to provide support and advice concerning planning and execution of operations at the Afghan Security Forces district opera-tions centre in Gereshk, partly to mentor and advise Afghan army units, including training in basic military skills. Two instructors for the Britishled infantry school of the Afghan Army in Kabul. 20 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

23 Various contributions to relevant parts of the ISAF land and air command structure. Supplementing the enhanced training effort, so far DKK 25 million has been reserved in pool for Global Stabilization Efforts for 2011 to support the capacity building of the Afghan security forces. be decided based on the situation on the ground. The adjustments that are initiated in 2011 will be continued and consolidated in It is expected the enhanced half of 2012 will create the conditions for an adjustment of the Danish area of operations and thereby for a larger adjustment of the Danish troop contingent. In practical terms it will be possible to adjust one of the two combat companies of the Danish battle group to a number of sought-after training, half of The overall troop level will remain unchanged. Parts of the Over the course of 2011 the Danish efforts will be focused geographically in and around the main town of Gereshk, among other things to intensify the capacity building of the Afghan security forces. The focusing of efforts is expected to lead to the Danish battle group being able to make plans for the transfer of the forward patrol bases in the so-called Patrol Base Line to the Afghan security forces. The adjustment allows for a minor reduction amounting to some 30 soldiers of the overall Danish troop contingent before the end of Exactly which soldiers and when the reduction will take place will Bastion/ Shorabak/ Leatherneck Provincial Reconstruction Team Helmand Nahr-e Saraj distriktet Price Patrol Base Line Budwan Rahim Clifton Bridzar Khar Nikah Spondon Malverne Hazrat Shir Agha 30 km. SECURITY THE DANISH MILITARY EFFORT 21

24 personnel from the combat units will be redeployed in training assignments etc. The battle group will continue as the framework for the main part of the Danish effort in Helmand. half of 2012 means that: As of February 2012 one combat company and parts of the battle group staff and support structure that belong to it will be adjusted into training, education and enablers. The overall strength of the troop contingent remains unchanged at about 720 soldiers. A number of new training contributions will be deployed. These will include, among other things, advisors and instructors for the training structure in Helmand. The new training contributions will total about 50 persons. The training contribution will also include a capacity for close protection and escorts consisting of between 16 and 30 persons. This is to ensure that Danish advisors and instructors can also provide training and mentoring outside the training camps. From the turn of the year 2011/2012 a special forces troop contingent of between 10 and 20 persons will be deployed in a trainer and partnership role. The contribution will be capable of building and assist-ing Afghan security forces (including specialized police units) by guidance and support. Activities may include preparation and execution of operations in the Helmand province. Such a training assignment is estimated to stretch over a period of about two years. Furthermore, two Danish instructors will be deployed as part of a joint Nordic contribution to the Af-ghan signals school in Mazare-Sharif within the framework of the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan. A support contribution in the shape of all or part of a mobile air operations centre for air surveillance and The contribution can be deployed for up to one year, and will consist of up to about 40 persons depending on facilities and the multinational framework. Furthermore, an air transport contribution of one C-130J transport aircraft will be deployed in support of rotations, leave for soldiers and adjustments to the troop contingent. The transport aircraft will also carry out tasks of transporting troops and hardware for ISAF. This contribution will be deployed for up to a year and will consist of up to 40 persons that are counted into the overall troop level. The contribution is activated as needed. 22 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

25 Over the course of the second half of 2012 the size of the Danish troop contingent will be further reduced to about 650 persons. The reduction will begin with the arrival of Team 14 in August As the reduction is implemented the Danish battle group will be adjusted into a Danish-led battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors along with a number of enablers. In this way the adjustment will constitute yet another step in the shift away from combat towards training, advising, education and enablers. Before the end of 2012 the Danish battle group will be discontinued as such and adjusted into a Danishled battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors as well as a number of enablers. From the end of 2012 Denmark will seek to deploy a contribution of a transport helicopter for a period of time. The contribution is expected to consist of between 65 and 90 persons, who will be counted into the overall strength of the troop contingent. Following the discontinuation of the battle group structure and the transition to a battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors, Denmark will seek to deploy a contribution of a transport helicopter including ground personnel as of the end of second half of 2012 means that: SECURITY THE DANISH MILITARY EFFORT 23

26 Danish special forces will continue their deployment as trainers and partners in support of the buildup of Afghan special forces in the Helmand province. Continued deployment of an air transport contribution consisting of a C-130J transport aircraft in sup-port of troop rotations, leave and adjustments to the troop contingent. The transport aircraft will also carry out tasks for ISAF in transporting personnel and hardware. The remaining Danish company designated for combat will move from a partnership role to the more withdrawn role of a quick reaction force over the course of 2012 as part of the continued adjustment process. The quick reaction force will, among other things, be able to move out at the request of Afghan security forces. The unit will also be able to assist and contribute to evacuating the remaining Danish units, should the need arise. In 2013 and 2014 the battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors along with a number of enablers can be continued. However, the composition of these throughout the period according to needs. The aforementioned quick reaction force will remain in place within the battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors, however an improved security situation and a consequently changed role for the responder unit could eventually be used for further adjustments of the overall troop contingent, which, depending on the situation on the ground is expected to be reduced gradually towards the end of New training, education and enablers that could be deployed over the course of 2013 and 2014 include, among other to some 100 medical staff in support tion. Likewise a contribution of up to 17 specialists to support the build-up of Afghan medi-cal capacities in the Shorabak Camp could be deployed. Finally, a transport helicopter contribution accompanied by ground personnel will be deployable for extended periods beginning in 2014, just as continued deployment of training and enablers are anticipated beyond 2014 as part of the long-term partnership between NATO and Afghanistan. Battle tanks are assessed to remain a potentially relevant capacity for the entire period, which is why plans are being made to continue the Danish contribution of battle tanks until the end of 2014, partially as a part of the aforementioned responder unit within the framework of the battalion trainers, mentors and advisors. It will be possible to terminate the Danish battalion of trainers, mentors and advisors by the end of At this time the deployment of any remaining responder units as well as the contribution of battle tanks will be terminated. Following this, Denmark comparable to similarly stated British intentions no longer have combat units in Afghanistan. 24 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

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28 26 DENMARK WILL: THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

29 27 SECURITY THE DANISH MILITARY EFFORT

30 SECURITY the Danish police effort The purpose of the effort is to enhance the Afghan police in order to increase are also needed, including more female will intensify its support for training in basic policing skills and leadership training. The support will take place both at the Helmand Police Training Centre (HPTC) and through the deployment of an additional Police Operation Mentoring and Liaison Team (POMLT), who will train the Afghan police during daily tasks. Denmark will also work to improve international police coordination, and will support the building up of police at the national level through the EU police mission (EUPOL). authorities held by the Afghan populace is due to, among other things, the absence of formalized rule of law and well-functioning institutions. The Afghans. The capacity building of the Afghan Na-tional Police (ANP) plays a key role in the establishing of the rule of law and legal institutions. Building the capacity of the police is furthermore decisive to the perspectives of handing over security responsibility to the Afghan authorities before the end of THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

31 In 2010 the overall framework for the build-up of the Afghan police was laid down. The national police strategy, among other things, was adopted. The strategy focuses on combating corruption and the development of police competencies that will enable the Afghan police to be in charge of actual civilian police tasks. In 2010 a decision was made to expand the strength of the police force in Afghanistan to a total of 134,000 personnel by October 2011 a level that is currently expected to rise to 170,000 in 2012 which will require more international trainers and instructors also marked the establishment of a new locally based Afghan police force, the Afghan Local Police (ALP). The ALP will contribute to increased security in the most exposed areas. The new local police could play an important role by increasing security in the exposed areas. When rolling out the local police, great emphasis is placed on ensuring a clear division of responsibilities in the relationship with other Afghan security forces, and it is the intention that also former insurgents, who have laid down their weapons, could be integrated in the local police. To ensure the greatest possible effect of the international effort, 2010 saw an agreement on a clear division of duties between EUPOL, the NATO Training Mission in Afghanistan (NTM-A) and the American-led training mission, Combined Security Transition Command (CSTC-A). While the efforts of NATO focus on basic police training through a strong presence in districts and provinces, EUPOL provides more specialized training schemes at the leadership level, including at the police academy in Kabul. Despite progress in 2010 the development of a capable police force still harbours great challenges. Lack of basic police skills combined with corruption, drug abuse, illiteracy, and, in some cases, crime within the police itself, still represent problems. In order to increase the professionalization of the police the international police effort in 2011 and 2012 will increasingly focus on ensuring the qualitative development of the Afghan National Police to have more police-trained instructors and trainers contributing to building Afghan police competencies, such as, for instance, receiving a report from the public, investigate crimes, and generally being more visible in the street. At the same time, the police trade is one of the most dangerous in Afghanistan, and the police are among the most poorly equipped of the Afghan security SECURITY THE DANISH POLICE EFFORT 29

32 forces. This along with disadvantageous police salaries has contributed to creating high dropout rates. Retaining policemen after they have undergone education is therefore a big challenge. In Helmand capacity building of the police presents a special challenge due part of the continued build-up of the ANP in Helmand there is a projected need for 2011 to expand the personnel strength from about 5,000 to about demands on the recruiting, training Helmand. The Danish police effort will be strengthened in Helmand both in terms of quality and in terms of quantity focusing on three main areas: 1) training and education, 2) Leadership advising and organizational structuring, 3) assistance for establishing the physical facilities necessary. In order to increase the quality of new deploy four police-trained instructors to the Helmand Police Training Centre (HPTC), the establishing of which ulum based on the Afghan police law in the basic training scheme, including the 30 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

33 WHAT IS A POLICE TRAINING TEAM? focus on issues like human rights, use of power, rules for conducting searches etc., the Afghan police will strengthen its capabilities in the handling of civilian police tasks, and thereby increase the population. The police training centre is envisioned to become a regional police training centre. In the beginning of 2011 the training centre will formally be subordinated to the NATO Training Mission. The police training centre in Helmand has educated 1,600 ANP personnel in 2010 on training schemes for recruits as the feedback from the districts is mostly positive. In ,000 people are expected to undergo training at the centre, schemes is being planned. In August 2010 Denmark established Mentoring and Liaison Team (POMLT) in the battle space of the Danish battle group. This was done in order to ensure a clear connection between the preliminary training effort and the ensuing police work out in the district areas. There is an explicit need for improved police leadership at both the provincial and district levels. In this respect, mem-bers of the police training team function as advisors and mentors of the ANP leadership. Apart from this the police training team skill of police patrolling. In a short time the unit has achieved good results and NATO, among others, have described it as the best example of police training yet. To strengthen this effort, for 2011 Denmark will deploy an additional police training team to the Gereshk area. SECURITY THE DANISH POLICE EFFORT 31

34 As the Afghan police force expands the need for specialized police facilities such as training centres and police and courtroom buildings will also grow. Denmark will continue its support for the next phase in the establishing of the police training centre in Helmand. There are plans to reform the policing effort in Gereshk over the next years according to the so-called 4+5 concept, which entails an expansion in the number of police stations from one to four, and a reduction of checkpoints cept thereby facilitates a more mobile policing effort. The police are intended to focus more on regular police tasks, such as receiving reports from the public and investigating crimes, as well as patrolling and maintaining visibility in the streets, as opposed to the current, more stationary effort which focuses a lot on checkpoints that are often the place where corruption and road fees mark the order of the day. The Chief of Police in Gereshk has prepared the plan supported by Danish police advi- sors. The concept will be implemented through training and education provided by the Danish police advisors. 32 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

35 DENMARK WILL: in Lashkar Gah SECURITY THE DANISH POLICE EFFORT 33

36 POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE For many years large parts of Helmand have been outside the control of local and central authorities. Insur-gent groups and tribal strife have been predominant. Authorities have not provided basic public services. Recent years have seen the presence of the authorities gradually increase. This process must continue, and the competencies of the authorities themselves must be strengthened. Denmark will support both proc-esses, so that the population is provided with better services. This must take place in consultation with the local population and the Afghan government. Denmark will provide support both at the central stage and in the districts of Helmand. The keywords are: local representation, combating corruption, local reconciliation and improved future elections. The transition process places demand on the capacity of Afghan authorities to exercise authority as necessary. Moving towards 2014 this demand will grow at both the national level and locally at the province and district levels. The aim is by the end of 2014 to have built Afghan authorities (both centrally and in the provinces) that can deliver basic services, a well-functioning judiciary based on the rule of law, and create the framework for economic growth, and reduce and follow up on cases of corruption. Afghanistan is one of the 34 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

37 world s poorest countries and stabile development requires tangible progress for the population. The building of capable provincial and district authorities is crucial to securing that Afghan national development programmes are rolled out to the entire country. This is a particular challenge in Helmand due to the security situation. Realistic expectations are therefore required in terms of what can actually cient donor coordination and alignment with the development priorities and programmes of the Afghan government are vital when it comes to achieving the best possible progress looking towards GOVERNANCE both at the national and the regional levels takes centre stage in the Kabul process. During the Kabul Conference of July 2010 the Afghan government committed to, among other things, securing better access for its citizens to an enhanced legal system and to Now it is important that the Afghan government delivers on these objectives. It is time to put action behind the words, and Denmark wishes to contribute to this. Enhanced governance at all levels will be crucial for the ability of Afghan authorities to independently assume responsibility for the development of Afghanistan. The Afghan policy for regional governance constitutes the strategic framework for improving governance in provinces, districts and villages. This policy is quite ambitious. Denmark places special emphasis on the district level. Together with coalition partners Denmark therefore supports the implementation of the District Delivery Programme (DDP), which was launched in Helmand in By improving the visibility of authorities and their provision of public services, the aim is to strengthen the relationship between the Afghan government and the local population. One element is to recruit more public Another is the establishing of govern- the local population. The programme is coordinated at the national level and enhances the administration processes from Kabul via the province and down to each district. In Helmand the Nad-e- Ali district is in the forefront in implementing the DDP. In the autumn of 2010 a programme concept was adopted for Nahr-e-Saraj in the Danish area of operations. The ambition for 2011 is for the DDP to be adopted in at least POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE 35

38 Locally in the Danish area of operations the Danish civilian stabilization advisors will also as a part of the transition process increasingly function as mentors for the district authorities. They will assist in the im-plementation of the DDP plans for Nahr-e-Saraj in close cooperation with relevant authorities at the provincial level. The intention is for the Afghan authorities to develop greater familiarity and routine when it comes to planning, including budget planning, and administration. COMBATING CORRUPTION remains a of anti-corruption bodies have been formed, but very big challenges persist. The most progress has probably been achieved in terms of minimizing the administrative corruption, where a stitutions and an update of the auditing legislation are under way. In focus will continue to be on capacity building of the anti-corruption bodies, including the and the Monitoring and Evaluation Committee. Denmark will continue to follow up at the highest political level on cases of corruption involving Danish aid funds. Furthermore, focus will be on ensuring mechanisms that prevent abuse of Danish funds and on those 36 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

39 responsible for abuse and corruption being held accountable. After the parliamentary elections in September 2010 Afghanistan has now conducted presidential, parliamentary and provincial council elections within the last two years. There are no elections planned in Afghanistan for the next few years. There is a need to use this election break to REFORM THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM, so that future elections will be less marked by fraud have better possibilities of securing an equal rep-resentation of the population. At the Kabul Conference the Afghan government promised to prepare a strategy for reform of the electoral system. In many circles 2011 is seen as an ideal year to begin this reform. The UN and the EU can assist, but there must be Afghan ownership. The EU has been appointed to play a central role in coordinating the efforts of the international community to support the work with electoral reform in If the Afghan government chooses to commence the work on comprehensive electoral reform, Denmark as an active member of the EU and in close coordination with the UN will contribute to strengthening the Afghan system, among other things by creating a functional polling registry and by continued strengthening of the Afghan electoral institutions. Under any circumstances, Denmark will support the work to overhaul the electoral system and prepare for electoral reform. This will be done, among other things, by seconding a Danish election specialist to the EU mission in Kabul. The international community will continue to focus on the build-up and strengthening of institutions that deal with HUMAN RIGHTS in Afghanistan. Within certain circles in Afghanistan great sympathy is held for this issue, however the effect of the work of the institutions still remains really to be seen. New legislation protects the rights of women in the area of criminal law, but the legislation is not yet known in all parts of the judiciary. Other laws, like for instance the local civilian shialaw, entail a degradation of women s rights in several areas. Therefore, the focus on women s rights must be maintained as a universal element of the Danish efforts. This goes, among other things, for the national priority programmes of the government, which are under preparation. Afghanistan cannot be solved by military means, but must be supplemented by a political process. The approach of the Afghan government to a political solution bases itself on two mutu- POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE 37

40 element RECONCILIATION concerns political negotiations with leaders of the insurgent groups. The President is expected directly or indirectly to tions. The High Peace Council, which was founded in the autumn of 2010, is rather expected not least by virtue of its broad composition to play a legitimizing role. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Staffan de Mistura, has established a Salaam Support Group, which is to provide technical and logistical assistance to the efforts of the Peace Council. Denmark will support the efforts of the UN and de Mistura both politically and through port Group initiative. At the same time, Denmark will work to see that the progress achieved since 2001 is not given up, among other things in relation to women s rights. The second element REINTEGRATION reaches out to the individual insurgents, local leaders and the communities, into which they are to be reintegrated. With the formation of the national reintegration programme, an attempt is made to create a framework that allows provinces and districts to receive and integrate insurgents, who decide to lay down their arms. Together with likeminded donors Denmark supported the 38 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

41 2010 and plans to continue the economic support for the programme. Under the leadership of the provincial governor a tailormade model for reintegration has been developed in Helmand. The model offers reintegration of insurgents through a process that involves both ISAF and local authorities. Reintegrated insurgents are registered (using biometry) by ISAF and are eligible for job offers and maybe education through local development projects. Parallel to the formal reintegration model the Afghan authorities are under the impression that several thousand insurgents have informally laid down their arms and are now oriented towards the authorities. In Helmand the Danish advisors in the PRT will support the reintegration of insurgents by the authorities in close cooperation with ISAF at both the provincial and district levels. In the Danish area of operations around Gereshk Denmark will support the authorities in rolling out the district ing a locally employed reintegra-tion worker. To ensure the best possible effect Denmark will work with its coalition partners to support mechanisms that promote political reconciliation between authorities and insurgents, as well as between those tribes whose internal strife is a destabilizing factor in the province. The creation of stability and development in Afghanistan is closely connected to the regional situation and the relationship of Afghanistan to the countries of the region in particular Pakistan and Iran. Pakistan remains a part of the problem as well as the solution to the challenges in Afghanistan. Radicalization and lawlessness are widespread in the border areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan, just as the situation in Pakistan provides the insurgents with a possibility to recruit, train and arm new troops. A large part of the drug smuggling, which is used to in Afghanistan, goes through Paki-stan and Iran. Therefore, one of the focal areas of the global stabilization effort which is a part of the current Danish Defence Agreement is to strengthen border surveillance and the war on drug traf- eration on border control between Iran, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Hereby, the the insurgents. The activities, supported by funds for the global stabilization effort, supplement the efforts under the Danish country programme for Paki- cant part of the activities is concentrated around stabilization of the troubled regions bordering Afghanistan. POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE 39

42 40 DENMARK WILL: THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

43 POLITICS AND GOVERNANCE 41

44 DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION As improvements in the security situation are gradually achieved, the need arises to increase the focus on the civilian development of Afghanistan. A stabile Afghanistan is best ensured by having a government in place that presides respects human rights and offers its population tolerable living conditions. At the same time Afghanistan is one of the world s poorest countries, and there is a great need for a long-term development engagement; an engagement that will continue for long and for sure reaching beyond It is clear that a legitimate government is necessary in order to maintain the progress made on the security side. At the same time the recruiting basis of the insurgent groups will diminish if the population has sustainable alternatives, and the government is perceived to be legitimate. Helmand has the potential for a reasonable economy based on agriculture 42 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN that does not rely exclusively on opium production. Denmark will support the local authorities in creating the framework for local economic activity and market access. A civilian society also requires basic juridical institutions. Denmark will support the development of the judiciary parallel to its support for police improvement. Denmark will also continue to support education. Needs are great and Denmark plays a central role as an international coordinator. The goal of handing over responsibility to the Afghan authorities demands that the Afghan government can gradually take over responsibility for the provision of basic public services, and that it can independently plan and continue the development processes already initiated while being supported by the international community. Contributing to ensuring that by 2014 Afghanistan has the necessary capacity in the areas of governance and development, Denmark will increase foreign aid to Afghanistan by DKK 100 million over the period of The increase of the aid to Afghanistan will be distributed with DKK 25 million in 2011, DKK 35 million in 2012 and DKK 40 million in grammes nationally and in Helmand will, of course, require continuous adjustments over the three-year period. On the one hand, the transition process and the developments in the security situation must be taken into account. On the other hand, the developments in the strategies and plans of the Afghan government must also be considered. On top of this comes the aid through Danish NGOs of about DKK 50 million a year and extraordinary humanitarian contributions, should the situation so require. Furthermore, in

45 2011 DKK 25 million from the global stabilization pool will be allocated for stabilization efforts. The Danish aid in 2011 will total around DKK 500 million. This total will then increase in both 2012 and Afghanistan will thereby become the second-largest recipient of Danish development aid. SUMMARY OF THE EXPECTED DISTRIBUTION OF THE STRENGTHENED CIVILIAN AID (MILLION DKK). TOTAL INCREASE OF COUNTRY BUDGET FRAME SUMMARY OF THE EXPECTED OVERALL ASSISTANCE TO AFGHANISTAN. YEARLY TOTAL FOR AFGHANISTAN DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION 43

46 A considerable part of the increase in the country budget frame will be used to enhance the stabilization and development effort in the Helmand province, affording particular focus to capacity building in the areas of governance and local administration, including special attention to the expansion of the judiciary and the Rule of Law. The focus on building Afghan capacity should contribute to, among other things, that the aid given by Denmark to the national programmes of the Afghan government, will also reach the districts and village communities of Helmand. Therefore, Denmark will give priority to supporting the basic conditions for the direct effort in Helmand, and the effort performed via national programmes, will support each other. Despite partial earmarking of resources for Helmand, Denmark as one of a few countries will continue in the future to meet the Afghan request that at least half of the international donor aid for Afghanistan be provided through the Afghan national budget. RISK TOLERANCE AND ADJUSTMENT OF THE STABILIZATION EFFORTS IN HELMAND Experience from fragile states like Afghanistan has shown that the stabilization and development efforts are associated with greater political and economic risk than in traditional and stabile developing countries. Even though Denmark is prepared to accept greater risk, it is still essential to know which efforts are working as intended in order to ensure the best possible results of the Danish development aid, and also in or-der to avoid abuse. Therefore, the Danish stabilization and development effort will be evaluated in tion, the stabilization effort in Helmand is primarily managed by the international and civilian-led Helmand PRT. The transition process means that leading up to 2014 the function of the PRT will gradually change toward a more traditional development effort aiming for the Afghan administration to independently manage governance and planning of development activities. CONSOLIDATING THE DEVELOPMENT EFFORT AT THE NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS 2011 and 2012 in Helmand will see a great need for stabilization and development efforts aimed at building the capacity of national and local authorities to provide basic services and improvements in living conditions, as well as to create a better framework for enhancing growth possibilities in the local economy. Therefore, Denmark will consolidate and expand the capacity building efforts of previous years in the 44 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

47 areas of state building, education, and improvement of living conditions. The Danish capacity building is performed in two tracks: One goes through the country-wide national programmes of the Afghan government, of which many also comprise Helmand. The other goes through a number of provincial and district efforts that are carried out primarily through the PRT. STATE BUILDING Within the statebuilding effort in Helmand the building of a wellfunctioning judiciary will constitute a cen-tral element of the Danish effort. Alongside the increased police training effort, Denmark will work with coalition partners to contribute to: (1) Education and training of judges, prosecutors, defence attorneys and prison staff; (2) promotion of women s rights and legal status, including in the area of civil law, (3) supporting the expansion of the necessary infrastructure in the form of buildings and facilities at the provincial and district levels, as well as (4) shaping improved handling of detainees in accordance with Afghan legislation and basic international standards. The capacity of the Afghan authorities to handle detainees must be increased in order to avoid that detainees suffer harm and to ensure correct treatment. This applies to the physical conditions as well as to the presence of legal staff, provide support in several areas that in different ways strengthen the Afghan ability to handle detainees. The physical conditions will be improved through support for the creation of a juridical centre in Gereshk. By deploying a Rule of Law advisor, who will, among other things, deal with questions regarding detainees, the advising of courts will be increased. In addition to continued support to the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (see further below) at the national level, further support to other human rights organizations will aim at increasing the broad attention to the handling of detainees. These initiatives take place in association with overall training of the police (see the chapter on Security the Danish police effort). Considerations are also on-going as to how increased support for other initiatives can best take place. It may also become relevant to provide economic support for the national level, and in 2012 to provide further support in Helmand, perhaps with personnel. Depending on the developments in numbers of detainees, the possibilities for Danish advising of the prison service, and in particular of the National Directorate of Security (NDS), will be DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION 45

48 investigated in cooperation with Denmark s allies, especially Great Britain. Parallel to the Helmand effort Denmark will continue to contribute to state building at the national level via the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). ARTF is managed by the World Bank and is one of the main instruments in the building of the Afghan state, carrying out reforms within the public sector, good governance at the national and local level, as well as corruption. At the same time the fund contributes to ensuring the provision of basic services in the areas of education and health. In addition to this, Denmark will continue to be a key player in the area of human rights, among other things by supporting the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), which works to promote and protect human rights. 46 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN LIVING CONDITIONS There is a serious lack of opportunities for employment and generation of income, especially among the young population. It can be a cause of crime, give insurgent groups a better recruitment base, and thereby contribute to undermining the building of the Afghan society. Denmark will therefore continue to contribute to improvements of living conditions and the creation of new economic opportunities through national programmes and a focused strengthening of the efforts in Helmand respectively. A number of initiatives will be aimed directly at strengthening the framework and conditions for the private sector and entrepreneurs. Together with coalition partners in Helmand Denmark will focus on job creation within the lines of new programme, the Helmand Growth Programme. The plan will support the production and processing of agricultural commodities of small and medium-sized businesses. The strengthening of the agricultural sector is especially suitable in Helmand and will contribute to creating growth and jobs so that, in time, the province will be able to thrive economically on its own. Denmark will continue to support the renovation and the upgrade of the important hydroelectric plant in Gereshk, and will carry out an expansion of the electricity distribution network in order to improve living conditions in the area and the conditions for growth in the private sector. Moreover, through a number of national programmes led by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development, Denmark will support the expansion of economic opportunities in Helmand.

49 the establishing of representative councils that can partake in the local decision-making processes are an important element of the programmes. The roll-out of the programmes depends on local partners and on the security situation. Both of these remain a challenge, which is why the programmes are expected to carry a continued low momentum in Helmand. The programmes serve the purpose of creating economic growth, market development, vocational education and training, as well as development in a broader sense at the village and district levels. Likewise, the establishing of component of the efforts to involve poor groups of the population from rural and urban areas in small local business initiatives. Apart from the contribution of the programmes to economic stabilization, the programmes play a role in capacity building of the local authorities, since Afghanistan remains the world s largest producer of raw opium, and the Helmand province contributes about half of the Afghan production. Therefore, the counter narcotics effort is high on the agenda of both the Afghan government and the international community. In Helmand the efforts include, among other things, destruction conversion of agricultural production to legal crops. Denmark has supported the conversion through contributions to DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION 47

50 the Helmand counter narcotics strategy. In 2009 the strategy contributed to a 30 percent decrease in the crop area, while the decrease in the crop area in 2010 came to 7 percent. Denmark will continue to support the work of promoting alternative crops, among other things by subsidizing enhanced seed grain and fertilizers, as well as through targeted information of the peasants of Helmand. This work should be viewed in the context of the overall work to promote economic development, for instance through the Afghanled national programmes. This is meant to contribute to a positive framework for the counter narcotics efforts and to in the counter narcotics effort. Afghan authorities carry out the necessary enforcing of the law and the destruc- EDUCATION The Afghans identify the lack of education as one of the biggest single problems in the local communities 48 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

51 (according to a poll made by the Asia Foundation in November 2010). In 2010 Denmark became the coordinating donor for the education sector and will use that platform to continue its commitment to the education sector, which includes expanding the experiences acquired at the national level and in the Helmand province through the efforts in recent years. Danish aid to the education sector in Helmand is provided as a direct contribution to the budget of the Afghan Ministry of Education and is closely coordinated with the education authorities in the province. One of the greatest challenges for the Afghan education system is the limited capacity of the authorities to assure ning. The Danish effort therefore also focuses on supporting the Afghans in their efforts on quality assurance and planning within the area of education. Denmark will support an improved education infrastructure in Helmand, which includes establishing more schools. Denmark will work for local communities to become more involved, hereby ensuring local ownership and the support for the children s school attendance, focusing especially on the educational opportunities of girls. Along with the construction of new schools Denmark will support the preparation of the Af-ghan curriculum and printing of schoolbooks. In doing so, it is emphasised that the teaching materials do not contribute to religious extremism. Financing of teaching materials, including in Helmand, will continue to be a Danish priority in DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION 49

52 DENMARK WILL: STATE BUILDING: LIVING CONDITIONS 50 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

53 EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT AND STABILIZATION 51

54 INTERMEDIATE OBJECTIVES AND BENCHMARKS FOR SECURITY OBJECTIVES INTERMEDIATE AIMS FOR THE HELMAND PLAN BENCHMARKS FOR 2011 BENCHMARKS FOR THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

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60 GOVERNANCE OBJECTIVES INTERMEDIATE AIMS FOR THE HELMAND PLAN BENCHMARKS FOR 2011 BENCHMARKS FOR THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

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64 INTERMEDIATE AIMS FOR THE HELMAND PLAN BENCHMARKS FOR 2011 BENCHMARKS FOR 2012 of detainees 62 THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN

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68 REPORT on 2010 THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2010 INTRODUCTION Afghanistan has experienced decades country remains grave and complex, and Afghanistan is still described as a fragile state. In spite of high economic growth rates including through 2010 Afghanistan remains one of the world s poorest countries. Progress has been made in several ing. A recent survey performed by the Asia Foundation shows that, generally speaking, more Afghans now think that the country is developing in the right direction. This is accredited to improved security, rebuilding efforts and the provision of services such as education. At the same time, the survey highlights continuing challenges in the areas of security, corruption and unemployment. Overall, the survey shows that the partnership with the Afghans 66 REPORT ON 2010 is yielding positive results, whilst at the same time showing that a long-term effort is required of Denmark and the international community in order to ensure stability, security and sustainable development in Afghanistan. A realistic approach is required in terms of how soon the overall results of the development activities come to show, especially in a fragile state like Afghani- eral parts of the country. For instance, it is relatively easy to document concrete results in the cases of new schools or the drilling of new wells. But schools and classrooms are not themselves the goal. The immediate goal is to ensure clean drinking water for the population and to improve the Afghan conditions for education. But in a much broader and long-term perspective the goal is to contribute to an improved health condition in society and to raise the level of education. The political development in Afghanistan in 2010 was marked by a series of major events: the London Con-ference in January, the Peace Jirga in Kabul in June, the International Conference on Afghanistan in Kabul in July, parliamen- the NATO summit in November. Especially the NATO summit constituted a ship between the Afghan government and the international community, since all parties now agree on the end of 2014 as the target for transferring the responsibility for security to the Afghans. Initiating the transfer of responsibility to the Afghans and the comprehensive engagement of the international community requires a close and continuous dialogue between the key players in the country: the UN, NATO/ISAF and the EU. Throughout 2010 Denmark has

69 worked to strengthen the coordination of the inter-national efforts as well as tional structure with the UN being the primary political coordinator in Afghanistan. This has been effectuated, for instance, through support to the Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) Staffan de Mistura during the weekly coordination meet-ings of the international community. On the subject of development Denmark has also supported the mandate of the UN in the role as coordinator of international aid and with regard to managing dialogue meetings with the Afghan government. Unfortunately, the role of the UN in the provinces and districts remains modest, and is not expected to grow in the coming years. This is due to both the limited resources of the UN as well as the security situation in the exposed areas. Furthermore, Denmark in 2010 has deployed staff to support the NATO Senior Civilian Representative (SCR) in the ISAF headquarters. This has contributed to enhancing the coordination between ISAF and the UN. Moreover, in partnership with the newly appointed EU Special Representative, Denmark has played a prominent role in decisive areas such as elections, reintegration, police reform and human rights. As a re-sult, the EU has achieved a more central and reliable role in Afghanistan. Danish engagement in Afghanistan the efforts are concentrated in certain state building, education and improvement of living conditions. The Danish engagement supports goals set out by the Afghans own development strategy (ANDS), which covers the period of This strategy is the instrument of the Afghan government to control and prioritize policies, strategies, investments and the state budget. At the same time, Denmark and the EU back the principles from the July 2010 Kabul Conference on ensuring Afghan ownership and capacity. Keeping in line with this, the donor activities must be aligned with national programmes, and the majority of international donations must be channelled through the budget of the Afghan state. The following is a report on the results of the Danish engagement in Afghanistan, including in the Helmand province, in First a report on the security situation and the military efforts is presented, then a report on the Danish stabilization- and development efforts is given. Finally, the annex offers a matrix to report on the benchmarks for the engagement in Helmand. THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

70 THE DANISH MILITARY AND POLICE EFFORT The situation in Afghanistan has entered a new and decisive phase. This is due partly to the decision to change the military approach to counterinsurgency, and partly due to the allocation of more resources to the engagement in Afghanistan. In line with the strategy for counterinsurgency 2010 saw the focus shift from seeking out the insurgents and combating them directly to protecting the Afghan population in the most densely populated areas. At the same time some additional troops, the majority of them being American, deployed to ISAF. 49 countries now contribute to ISAF. Along with the troop surge, ISAF has stepped up the efforts to train Afghan security forces, which has resulted in an increase in Afghan troop levels. Consequently, ISAF and the Afghan security forces have expanded their capability to carry out joint operations. This has proved to have a positive effect, for instance with regard to contact to the local population. In 2010 the Afghan authorities and the insurgents, particularly in the provinces of Helmand and Kandahar. The effect of the troop surge, which was initiated through the summer and has been completed by the end of 2010, has started to show. An important element in the operations has been the close coordination with Afghan ministries in the phases of planning and execution. This approach has, among other things, enabled the provision of basic services to the local population at the same time as military operations were carried out. 68 REPORT ON 2010

71 The troop surge has enabled an increase in military efforts during the course of the last year. This has gradually pushed the insurgents away from several densely populated areas, which has led to a general increase in the number of security incidents. At the same time, targeted ISAF attacks on key insurgency leaders have reduced the insurgents ability to plan and execute major coordinated attacks. In October 2010 the NATO Secretary General assessed that the NATO goal of retaking the initiative had been achieved. However, great security challenges persist, especially in southern Afghanistan. The ability of the remaining insurgent groups to operate autonomously has led to an increased number of smaller and more sporadic attacks against ISAF and the Afghan security forces. These attacks include roadside bombs, which also hit the Afghan people. Apart from this, the insurgents increasingly use intimidation and assassination as a means to frighten the Afghan population and, not least, representatives of the authorities. The overall security situation in Southern Afghanistan is still characterized as grave. In 2010 the objective of Afghan security forces independently handling security has been pursued by increasing the number of Afghan security forces. Considering the stated goals, the ISAF support for the build-up of Afghan security forces in 2010 has been more successful than planned. The goal of reaching troop strengths of Afghan soldiers and Afghan already in August. However, the buildup of the Afghan security forces is not only a matter of increasing troop strength. It is also a matter of improving quality. Therefore, in 2010 the ISAF and the Afghan authorities introduced an evaluation system that assesses both quantity and quality during the development of the Afghan units. Through this system the future training effort will likewise focus on improving the quality of the Afghan security forces. and Afghan forces in the Helmand province has, naturally, affected the situation in and around the Danish area of operations. Among other things, the Southern Afghanistan led to the ISAF Regional Command South being split in two. Thus, since June 2010 the Danish battle group has belonged under the ISAF s Regional Command Southwest, whilst remaining within the framework of the British-led Task Force Helmand. In 2010 Denmark continued its contribution of a troop contingent that places Denmark as one of the largest con- THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

72 tributors measured by troops per capita within the group of ISAF countries This contribution is being noted and recognised. However, the Danish effort has had its costs. In 2010 nine Danish soldiers have fallen in combat in Afghanistan, which brings the total number of casualties to 40. Furthermore, 86 soldiers were wounded in 2010, bringing that total number of wounded soldiers to 151. As of 1 January 2010 the Danish Armed Forces have changed its method of registering so that not only heavily wounded soldiers, but also soldiers with minor wounds are included in the statistics. This has resulted in an increased number of wounded in 2010 compared to earlier. Since the summer of 2010 the main part of the battle group has been engaged in military capacity building of the Afghan security forces. In April 3rd Kandak (a battalion-sized Afghan unit) arrived to the area. This unit has since been cooperating with the Danish battle group in and around the town of Gereshk. The Afghan kandak operates out of Camp Gereshk, which is situated just out-side the main Danish base, Camp Price also saw the arrival of Afghan soldiers from the 6th Highway Kandak, which with support from American and British units operating under the Danish battle group has been deployed along the East-West going Highway 1, which passes closely by the town of Gereshk itself. Cooperation is carried out according to the principle of partnership, which can best be described as a process of on-the-job training through which Afghan soldiers are trained by involving them in the execution of tasks on a par with the soldiers of the Danish battle group. Hereby the capability and capacity of the Afghan unit to carry out tasks is gradually increased. Apart from establishing a partnership, the Danish effort has focused on improving the overall conditions for the Afghan security forces in order to address problems of retaining personnel. Among other things, camp facilities have been improved for the 3rd Kandak under the Danish battle group, as well as at the main camp of the Afghan brigade and the corps under which the kandak belongs. Additionally, the Danish garrison training team (G-OMLT) teaches the Afghan security forces how to run a camp, manage logistics, security etc. in the Afghan Camp Shorabak. In 2010 the Afghan partner units have gradually developed the capability to operate independently, however the most progress has been made at the cant challenges lie in the area of leadership. Progress was seen, for instance, during the Afghan parliamentary elections in the fall of 2010 when, de- 70 REPORT ON 2010

73 spite several attempts by the insurgent groups, complex attacks were thwarted. The increased focus of the ISAF on the training of the Afghan security forces and protection of densely populated areas has resulted in a greater need to adjust operational patterns to make positions. This was one of the reasons why the British commander of Task Force Hel-mand in consultation with provincial governor Mangal decided to close forward operating base Budwan in the Danish area of operations. Closing down the camp is a large task, which will stretch into The reason for the increasingly manoeuvre-based approach is also that the battle against the insurgency is a con-tinued race to maintain the initiative, which is achieved by continuously adjusting operation patterns. In 2010 the Danish battle tanks have proved to be a relevant capacity, which has been sought-after by British and American units, amongst others. The tanks are deployed from the high ground on both sides of the Helmand river valley. From here they can observe at long range in support of soldiers deployed on foot in the area along the river, where vegetation is dense. For periods of July 2010 the Danish battle group was reinforced with approximately 20 Army Special Forces soldiers in order to enhance the security of the soldiers. Within the framework operations of the battle group the special forces soldiers were tasked with, among other things, countering insurgents, who were placing roadside bombs around the forward operating base, thereby contributing to reductions in Danish casualties. In September 2010 the Bosnian Parliament approved the deployment of a Bosnian guard unit of 45 troops under the Danish battle group in Helmand. The Bosnian guard unit deployed to the Helmand province in October In the same way as the Danish guard contribution from the Danish Home THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

74 Guard, the Bosnian guard unit has relieved Danish soldiers, allowing them pattern. Since August 2010 Denmark has contributed with a police training team (POMLT) consisting of two Danish three military police soldiers and 16 soldiers. The work of the police training team focuses primarily on advising and guiding the local Afghan police leadership, including the district police chief. In short time the team has achieved very good results, and NATO, among others, has described it as the best example of police training yet. perception of Afghan authorities by protecting village communities in areas where the presence of other Afghan ALP units have already been formed, and the formation of ALP units is the Helmand province, including Nahre-Saraj where the Danish battle group operates. One important criterion for the formation of local ALP units is the explicit request of the local population for the presence of such units, and that the local community among other things contribute to the selection of ALP members. In 2010 the Afghan government and ISAF introduced a new, locally based police force, the Afghan Local Police (ALP). The initiative aims to stabilize exposed areas, and is being established with American support. The idea of the ALP is to improve security and the local 72 REPORT ON 2010

75 THE DANISH CIVILIAN EFFORT The total Danish development aid to Afghanistan in 2010 amounted to DKK 400 million. Additionally, the efforts delivered through Danish NGOs amount to a total of DKK 44 million. When distributing Danish aid, particular emphasis is placed on Afghan owner- the necessary absorption capacity. Great attention is also afforded to capacity building on all levels of public administration and civilian society in order to ensure Afghan ownership and increased capacity for development. Most of the Danish aid is given to national programmes that promote stability and development across the country, including Helmand, as well as in the form of sector programme support of the education sector. Considering this, Denmark is abreast of the Afghan wish from the Kabul Conference, that within a period of two years, at least 50 percent of the international donor aid to Afghanistan will be provided through the government budget. The table below shows the distribution of Danish aid: FIELD OF ACTIVITIES IN TOTAL DKK MILLION (BUDGET) THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

76 STATE BUILDING President Karzai and the Afghan government have not yet delivered on promises made in 2010 (primarily during the London and Kabul conferences) on improved governance. Generally, the Afghan state- and province administrations suffer under very limited capacity, unresolved division of responsibilites between authorities, weak leadership, corruption and abuse of power. The challenge therefore persists of ensuring that the Afghan government puts action behind its political declarations, and that the Afghan government is strengthened. The Danish state building effort of DKK 100 million in 2010 has mainly been aimed at forming the Afghan police, at capacity building in ministries corruption and promoting human rights. The support is generally provided through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF), which is managed by the World Bank. government s development budget, including public salaries and investments, as a part of the implementation of the Afghan National Development Strategy. As a contribution to the stabilization effort in Helmand Denmark has deployed a senior civilian representative (SCR) to the PRT, who together with the British and American SCRs coordinates the civilian efforts of the coalition in the province in cooperation with the Afghan authorities and ISAF. Furthermore, three Danish stabilization advisors are posted in Gereshk via the PRT. Here they have contributed to enhancing capacity building at the district level as well as ensured coordination and prioritization of the military and civilian efforts in Nahr-e-Saraj. GOVERNANCE In order to improve the Afghan authorities at both the provincial and district levels Denmark in cooperation with other countries has supported the Afghan governmental District Delivery Programme (DDP), which is to aid Afghan district authorities in improving the quality and reliability or their administration and provision of services, Afghan people. The programme has recently been launched in Helmand. Progress has been made in Helmand, particularly by virtue of provincial governor Mangal, who has begun several positive initiatives at the district level: improved living conditions, education, my, and governance. By out of 14 districts had a district governor. The most pro-gress has been made in the districts where the security situation has 74 REPORT ON 2010

77 improved remarkably. The district council in Nahr-e-Saraj (Gereshk) has already become decision-making. Even though progress is made slowly, things seem to be moving in the right direction. COMBATING CORRUPTION The Danish Afghanistan strategy places emphasis on good governance and, not least, combating corrup-tion. In 2010, Denmark has continued its support for combating corruption through the UN programme UNDP ACT. The programme supports Afghan institutions other things through capacity building of an anti-corruption body (High ) and the (MEC), training corruption legislation, as well as training of journalists and civilian organizations. the initiatives of the Afghan Ministry of Education to deal with corruption. This includes newly established tender procedures and a salary reform for ministry employees and schoolteachers. The program also contributes to form bod-ies within the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that can deal with complaints. Experience in the anti-corruption area has been mixed. Progress has been seen in terms of strengthening institutions and civilian organizations, whose at the same time examples from the highest political level have shown that several Afghan leaders are not suf- individual cases. HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVILIAN SOCIETY Violations of human rights continue to constitute a big problem in Afghanistan. Denmark has often in cooperation with the EU and the Nordic countries made a big effort to put human rights on the political agenda in Afghanistan and in delivery of development assistance. Denmark continues to support the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC), which has played an increasing role to keep the government to its obligations. More than 33,000 Afghans have taken part in the activities of the AIHRC, about 40 percent of participants being women. The Commission receives about 1,000 cases a year concerning alleged human rights violations. Apart from this, in 2010 Denmark has supported the esta- in the Afghan Ministry of Justice, which was opened in October. THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

78 Civilian society in Afghanistan plays sues such as human rights, the legal status of women and anti-corruption measures. In 2010 Denmark has been one of the initiators behind a common fund (together with the Nordic countries and the United Kingdom), civilian society, including improvement of women s access to the legal system and to advocacy. Apart from this 2010 also saw continued support provided to the Afghan human rights network Civil Society and Human Rights Network (CSHRN), which now have more than 70 member organizations. The increased focus of the network on advocacy has shown positive results. One example to be mentioned is that the Afghan Ministry for Refugees and Repatriation has accepted the recommendations of the network on rights of refugees and internally displaced persons and incorporated these rights in the national strategies. The network has achieved positive results through a campaign in the Herat province, which focuses on domestic violence against women, which is now being launched in other provinces. To promote freedom of the press Denmark has furthermore supported the training of more than 80 journalists in the areas of critical journalism and personal security. 76 REPORT ON 2010

79 Together with the remaining Nordic countries Denmark continuously initiates debate meetings and net-work activities for women. In addition to this, Denmark also works closely with the UNIFEM and supports the special fund for support of civilian organizations, which works to eliminate violence against women (EVAW Special Fund). In Helmand Denmark has launched a cooperation initiative together with the US Sec-retary of State. The initiative focuses on improving women s access to the legal system in the Helmand province. Since 2007, and continuing through 2010, Denmark has supported the Afghan civilian organization Da Qanoon Ghushtonky (DQG). The DQG free of charge provides legal support for women through defence attorneys and covers 17 provinces. The organization has aided indicted women and youngsters in more than 8,000 cases. 50 percent of the cases have resulted in either release or some other form of solution. ESTABLISHING THE RULE OF LAW AND A SECURITY SECTOR A well-functioning legal system based on the rule of law, including a trustworthy police force, constitutes a core element in the stabilization of the country and the gradual transfer of responsibility to the Afghan security forces. Therefore, 2010 was also marked by focus on the build-up and reform of the Afghan na-tional police and legal sector. In 2010 Denmark has supported the national planning and coordination of the police training effort primarily through a coordination forum (International Police Coordination Board, IPCB), in which Denmark holds the secretariat. Among others, the board consists of representatives of the Afghan Ministry of the Interior as well as central players such as UNAMA, EUPOL and the ISAF. To curb the incentive for corruption in the police force, in 2010 Denmark has again supported the UN LOTFA programme (Law and Order Trust Fund), which as one of its functions works to ensure that members of the police force receive their pay on time. In 2010 Denmark has also maintained its extensive involvement in the EU police mission (EUPOL Afghanistan). At the end of 2010, Denmark had 14 po- in Kabul. EUPOL provides important training and guidance at the leadership level in Kabul. In cooperation with Afghan authorities EUPOL has taken part in the development of plans to improve security in the central urban areas of Afghanistan. By establishing a security ring around Kabul the EUPOL THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

80 has contributed to improved security inspections, which in turn has added to reductions in the number of attacks in the capital. A well functioning police force is not least important in the unstable areas, including Helmand. In 2010 Denmark has supported the construction of a new police training centre in Lashkar Gah. The purpose has been to provide the setting for a well-structured police training scheme aimed at improving the the Afghan police in Helmand. In 2010 the training centre produced some 1600 colleagues, and focuses primarily on training and guidance of the local police leadership, including the district police chief. The team has swiftly achieved very good results, and NATO, among others, has described it as the best example of police training yet. ELECTIONS In September 2010 parliamentary elections were held in Afghanistan. By Afghan standards the elections went relatively well. The Afghan election institutions performed well in terms of ensuring that fraud, which was inevi- Finally, in 2010 Denmark has contributed with a police training team consist- the National Police, three military police soldiers and 16 soldiers. The team works in close partnership with Afghan 78 REPORT ON 2010

81 and that the fraud votes were annulled. Almost two thirds of the parliamentarians were replaced at the elections. This was a sign from the electorate that the Afghan politicians were expected to improve their performance. As in 2009 the voter turnout was low. The total turnout amounted to 4.03 million votes. This corresponds to liamentary elections since the 1960s to be managed principally by the Afghan election institutions and the Afghan security forces. The composition of the parliament is not exactly what president Karzai had hoped for. This was proved, for instance, by his efforts to alter the original result in the Ghazni province in order to secure Pashto represen-tation, and by the crisis later on surrounding the inauguration of the parliament. Tadzsjiks and Hazaras together now constitute the parliament majority. However, among these groupings there are supporters of the government, and Karzai is expected to be able to promote his policies from one issue to the other. Danish resident expatriates participated as election monitors in both Kabul and Helmand. At the same time Denmark supported the largest Afghan monitoring mission, Free and Fair Election Foundation of Afghanistan (FEFA), which monitored the elections. FEFA had some 7,000 Afghan monitors placed on the polling stations, including in Helmand. Additionally, Denmark supported the UN election support programme, ELECT, which assisted the Afghan Election Commission on technical and logistical issues during the elections. Lastly, Denmark provided support for the Afghan Women s Network (AWN), a minor Afghan network NGO with member organizations in 29 provinces, including Helmand. The organization promoted women s participation in the parliamentary elections, among other things through posters, radio and television spots, and workshops. AWN also trains female parliamentarians, for instance by educating them in how they can make themselves better heard in the new parliament. A foundation has now been created on which future elections can build. THE PROCESS OF RECONCILIATION AND REINTEGRATION in Afghanistan cannot be solved by military means alone, and that a political process must supplement the military component, over time creating the foundation for a compromise on the future sharing of power in the Afghan society. To support the process, in THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

82 2010 Denmark has contributed DKK 15 million to the reintegration fund of the Afghan government. The money is channelled through the UN and will be used to support outreach, demobilization and reintegration activities. In Helmand, where textbooks were not previously available, books have been distributed to more than 90,000 pupils. elevate the quality of teaching. In 2010 the support for education in Helmand became fully integrated with the national education programme. Using Danish funds, the Danish education programme opened another six schools EDUCATION Better access to education is said by a large part of the population to be the reason for increased optimism about the future. In 2010 even more children have started to attend school, and more new schools have been created nationally. In 2010 Denmark supported the education sector with DKK 120 million The aid is channelled directly into the national budget, and in accordance with Afghan plans and priorities it is used primarily for basic schooling, establishing teaching plans, printing and distribution of schoolbooks and for construction of schools. 80 REPORT ON 2010

83 as well as a high school for girls, hereby providing education possibilities for more than 4,500 children. The schools have been erected following a close dialogue with the local population in areas where the need is greatest and the The cooperation between the Helmand Province and the Ministry of Education is further supported by Danish-funded national and international education advisors in the Helmand PRT. Among other things, the advisors provide onethe-job training of technicians and engineers making them capable of teaching others. Moreover, a Danish scholarship programme has provided up to 2,000 children in Helmand with the possibility of going to school. The Danish support has contributed to Helmand now having 115 functioning schools, in which 100,000 pupils receive teaching, 24,000 of them being girls. This is a major step forward compared to 2001, when no girls attended school, 5,200 girls in 2005 and 13,000 girls in In 2010 questions have been raised about protection money being paid to the Taliban as well as attacks on a Danish-funded construction of a school in Helmand. However, a detailed investigation has shown that no evidence could be found that the Taliban should have received aid funds. The school attack was carried out by criminal gangs trying area at the time. This included, among other things, extortion of the building contractor. The Afghan police pursued the case and arrested the suspects. IMPROVING LIVING CONDITIONS Afghanistan remains one of the world s poorest countries, and even though 2010 has seen progress, it must be acknowledged that there is a long way to go. In 2010 the main challenge has once again been to expand the national programmes to the most insecure provinces, among these Helmand. In 2010 Denmark supported the improvement of living conditions with DKK 85 million. The Danish effort number of national development programmes. The most important one is still the National Solidarity Programme (NSP), which provides a block grant to a village s local development projects upon the establishment of democratically elected local development councils. Across the country some 22,300 such councils have been established, which corresponds to two thirds of all villages. Studies show that the local councils of improvements in local administration, have improved the public s access to services and increased the participa- THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

84 Since the beginning of the programme more than 41,000 development projects have been conducted in the areas of education, irrigation, energy supply and transport, which has contributed to economic development and created a large nanced about 6,000 education projects, 8,000 irrigation projects, 6,300 projects within the energy sector and 11,500 projects within the transport sector. The programme was also active in Helmand, but to varying degrees in the different districts as a consequence of the security situation. At the moment the partnership organizations have left the province and the projects are currently suspended in the villages that partake in the project in Helmand. It is expected that the programme will resume during the course of 2011 by new partners. 82 REPORT ON 2010

85 In 2010 Denmark continued its support for the National Area Based Development Programme (NABDP), which coordinates the development of infrastructure and capacity building at the district level. As an important contribution to strengthening local administration and the channelling of resources, the NABDP has established and trained more than 350 district development councils. Using Danish funds, the NABDP has likewise con- in the local administration in Marjah in Helmand by restoring of infrastructure right after the end of the military campaign in the spring of In 2010 Denmark has also supported the creation of small and medium sized enterprises through the Afghanistan Rural Enterprise Development Programme, AREDP. The AREDP promotes development of new enterprises in rural areas through business training and facilitation of loans. In 2010 the programme has established local centres from which the future efforts can develop. Denmark continues to support a Facility for Afghanistan, MISFA, which is a nationwide programme of great population, including especially women and their possibilities to undertake small business initiatives. As of the end of 2010 the nationwide number of active clients is 435,000, of which 60 percent are women. In Helmand there are almost 6,000 active clients. Studies show a positive effect on women s participation in the economy, and that it leads to a number of improvements in women s lives, for instance increased respect for women, as well as increased self-respect among women themselves. In 2010 Denmark has also supported anti-drugs efforts, among other things through a pilot project under the on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in the regions bordering Iran. This project also introduces the local population to alternative agricultural activities that can keep them from engaging in cross- not produced measurable results, but the project has attracted great interest, and it is planned to spread the concept to other border regions over the next few years. THE REINTEGRATION EFFORT Afghans have returned home, while some two million remain as refugees in Iran and Pakistan. In 2010 Denmark has used the region of origin initiative to continue its support for programmes on sustainable reintegration of refugees as well the ability of local communities THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

86 to receive these refugees. The effort covers quite basic needs of the returned refugees such as housing and the securing of basic rights, but also more target-oriented activities like vocational training, grants for entrepreneurship, as well as support for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations handling of particularly vulnerable returnees. As part of the humanitarian aid in 2010 the Danish Demining Group (DDG) has continued to carry out hu-manitarian demining. Since 1999 the DDG has cleared about 18,000 mines, one million unexploded items, and cleared large areas in the countryside all over Afghanistan. THE EFFORTS OF DANISH NGOS IN AFGHANISTAN In 2010 Danish NGOs have received a total of DKK 44 million to humanitarian work focusing on improved food safety, nutrition, health and agriculture. The work takes place mostly in the more stable parts of the country, and in 2010 the organizations have not been operating in the Helmand province. Among other things, the work of the NGOs has resulted in an increased group of women in the Herat province, who now attend birth preparations. This contributes to lowering the high number of women, who die during childbirth. This work has been performed by the Danish Afghanistan Committee (DAC), and the programmes of the DAC are set to be models for a similar initiative within the national health strategies. In 2009 a district hospital run by the DAC was named as a model district hospital for the whole country. In 2010 the work of the DACAAR has, among other things, ensured that more than 175,000 people have clean drinking water through the installation of sand 84 REPORT ON 2010

87 Furthermore, some 2,000 latrines have been established. Focusing on vulnerable groups of the population, Mission East has provided improved living conditions in Northeastern Afghanistan. In this project more than 10,000 people received clean drinking water, 8,400 people received latrines or were educated on hygiene, and about 10,000 people were training in the production of vegetables and honey. LEARN MORE ABOUT THE RESULTS ON THE INTERNET SITES OF THE ORGANIZATIONS: org THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

88 ANNUAL REPORT ON THE BENCHMARKS FOR THE HELMAND PROVINCE IN 2010 OBJECTIVES IN THE AFGHANI- STAN STRATEGY (BY THE END OF 2012) INTERMEDIATE AIMS OF THE HELMAND PLAN 2010 BENCHMARK FOR THE EFFORTS IN 2010 RESULTS AT THE END OF REPORT ON 2010

89 INTERMEDIATE AIMS OF THE HELMAND PLAN 2010 BENCHMARK FOR THE EFFORTS IN 2010 RESULTS AT THE END OF 2010 THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

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92 INTERMEDIATE AIMS OF THE HELMAND PLAN 2010 BENCHMARK FOR THE EFFORTS IN 2010 RESULTS AT THE END OF REPORT ON 2010

93 OBJECTIVES OF THE AFGHANI- STAN STRATEGY (BY THE END OF 2012) INTERMEDIATE AIMS OF THE HELMAND PLAN 2010 BENCHMARK FOR THE EFFORTS IN 2010 RESULTS AT THE END OF 2010 THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

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96 INTERMEDIATE AIMS OF THE HELMAND PLAN 2010 BENCHMARK FOR THE EFFORTS IN 2010 RESULTS AT THE END OF REPORT ON 2010

97 OBJECTIVES OF THE AFGHANI- STAN STRATEGY (BY THE END OF 2012) INTERMEDIATE AIMS OF THE HELMAND PLAN 2010 BENCHMARK FOR THE EFFORTS IN 2010 RESULTS AT THE END OF 2010 THE DANISH ENGAGEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN IN

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100 THE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS & THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE THE DANISH HELMAND PLAN Feb 2011 Publisher: The Ministry of Foreign Affairs Asiatisk Plads 2 DK-1448 København K DENMARK Phone: Fax: um@um.dk Internet: Translation: Benjamin W. Rømer Design: Lene Hessilt The publication can be downloaded or ordered via The text can be quoted freely ISBN (printed version) ISBN (internet version)