International support for Afghanistan will hinge on the commitment by its institutions to fight corruption and respect human rights, especially regarding the condition of women, Under-Secretary Staffan De Mistura explained to the press after the Tokyo Conference on Sunday, which earmarked 16 billion in post-2014 aid.
Massively improving the condition of women
Italy “dug its heels in” at the meeting in Japan, especially in regard to the defence of women, spurred by a bipartisan parliamentary motion and the government’s tenacity in negotiations, in which it succeeded in obtaining a “resolution” for “massively improving” women’s conditions in a country where they make up 51% of the population, but are still discriminated against and, in the worst cases, executed for adultery.
Finding new formulas for co-existence
The Tokyo conference served to let President Karzai know that the international community respects Afghan traditions but, at the same time, that “we have the right to decide how to spend our money”, De Mistura stressed, along with the hope that in the new Afghanistan “all components of the society will find a formula for co-existence, with the international community’s support, without interference by neighbouring countries and with some fixed fundamental points such as the end of the war and the horrors of the last 12 years”.