NEW YORK (PAN): The Afghan ambassador has praised Canada as a role-model for all those who want to help his country, devastated by decades of strife.

"Not only is Canada ranked among the top five donors, delivers on its pledges and is a force for stability in Kandahar, it is also becoming a role model for many others ," Omar Samad said in Vancouver.

 

Addressing the International Development Day Conference, Samad said: "Not only were you among the first countries to adopt the 3-D approach, but you actually turned it into a more comprehensive model, which is sometimes referred to as a "whole of government" approach, putting you in a unique position to work with us to resolve specific issues in a sustainable manner and pass on ownership to the Afghans."

Samad added Afghanistan was fully cognizant of the fact that when a donor played its role to the fullest, it was easy for his country to take responsibility for doing the rest by learning to nurture, reform, manage and take charge of its affairs.

 

Referring to the challenges faced by Afghanistan, Samad said latest figures showed that only 60 percent of funds were being disbursed because of stringent procurement procedures.

 

"Only about 20 percent of the total aid has passed through Afghan channels and a staggering 30 percent over the past five years can be categorised as repatriated, tax-free income. For example, international technical assistance is considered to be largely wasted, especially when it lacks residual value," Samad explained.

 

The goal was to build a strong foundation for peace and prosperity, the ambassador said, explaining: "Not only do we now need to consolidate the gains, but we also need to adjust and re-calibrate our security, political and developmental strategies."

 

The ambassador warned: "Our collective gains could be jeopardised if we do not reverse the trend of uncoordinated and under-resourced international efforts, and fix the problems of weak Afghan institutions plagued by corruption, low capacity and drug interests."