Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies at Afghanistan - Way forward - Seminar

Minister of Defence Jyri Häkämies    
Afghanistan - Way forward - Seminar
Opening words
28.2.2008

Your excellencies, members of the parliament, our distinguished speakers', ladies and gentlemen, good morning and welcome to the seminar on Afghanistan - Way Forward. Today's topic 'Afghanistan' is very high on the media agenda at least here in Finland. From my perspective the picture in the public is sometimes somewhat one-sided, not covering the full scope of progress that has taken place in Afghanistan. I hope that we can today take an objective look on Afghanistan. Our intention is to look in to the future. Let's be critical, let's debate! We should know what we are doing right, where we can do better. The main question are - What lies ahead for Afghanistan AND what steps should we take to help the Afghans to reach their goal?

There are numerous factors that influence the reconstruction and nation-building in Afghanistan. The country is very large. There are distinct geographical differences between regions. Ethnic diversity and popularity of insurgents varies depending on the area. As the northern part of the country is relatively calm we see disturbing unrest in the southern parts of the country.

The international assistance force in Afghanistan has been subject to significant casualties. The attacks are have also endangered the civilian population. Suicide attacks and targeting innocent civilians have been adopted as a tool of coercion and terror by the insurgents. However, there are some positive indicators in the air suggesting that the number of attacks is decreasing.

It is of utmost importance to convey a correct, realistic picture what is happening in the country. I see the responsibility and role of the mass media covering Afghanistan as crucial in transmitting an impartial and an objective picture on what really happens in Afghanistan.
    
The key to success in stabilizing Afghanistan is nation-building. When improving the everyday life of the people the international community can step by step leave the responsibility of development to the Afghan authorities. There are already significant steps taken by international organisations and troops in improving the quality of living in Afghanistan.

We can see, for example, electricity being distributed to remote villages by innovative and bold means. The Afghans are very much engaged in this process.

Gender based discrimination and contempt for education was one element of Taliban regime. The majority of Afghan girls had no opportunity to go to school or even acquire any education - not even privately. For the last few years there has been a vast international campaign to improve the educational system in Afghanistan and ensure equal rights for education for all children.

The everyday life of a woman in Afghanistan still is hard. No doubt, there has been incredible improvement since the days of the old rulers but there is still much to do.  In all cases, one must understand the cultural differences of nations, that is why Afghan ownership is vital in all areas of support.

As nation-building can be seen as the key to stabilization, the key for nation building is security. There are still major security challenges that the Afghans and the international community must face before achieving a well working state. Some may argue that in supporting the security sector we are establishing new tools of violence inside a war-torn country. The case is absolutely the opposite. In order to be considered as a nation among nations, a country must have a functioning police, defence and border control. Afghanistan must be able to exercise full authority within her borders. This is why the elements of the security structure must be supported and developed.

All wise men demand comprehensive solutions. In the case of stabilization and reconstruction of an entire country this is very much justified. There is genuine need for solutions of diverse nature. The military model suits best for the pacification process and training the Afghan security structures. Obviously this is not enough. There is, for example, a need for support from the social and health sector, the need for industrial and economic assistance, education, and so on. The question of rule of law is crucial. No country can function without a fair, adequate and preventive legislation that secures individual and community rights. One integral part of the good governance is rooting out the corruption. Here, as in all areas of work, the Afghans themselves have to take a leading role. That is the only way that we can even start thinking about an exit strategy!

Afghanistan remains to be one of the biggest challenges for the international community and hopefully serves as an example of how a nation can be helped to regain its status among other nations. I see a great need for increased co-operation between all actors from different fields of life in our joint effort. Let's take this effort a step forward today!  I want to extend my gratitude towards the people that have made this seminar possible. A special mention goes to our guest speakers and also to the parliament foreign policy and defense committees. Ladies and Gentlemen, I wish you all warmly welcome to this seminar. I hope that our audience will use the expertise of our panelists to the fullest. I am looking forward to a lively debate. Enjoy the seminar!

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