Kabul set for historic international conference

The Afghan government is expected to outline plans to improve governance, promote development, assert the rule of law, support human rights, use aid money more effectively and map out peace efforts.
Analysts say the real significance of the conference lies in its attempt to keep the international community involved in Afghanistan in the light of US President Barack Obama's decision to begin reducing troop levels in July 2011.

Afghanistan has received $36bn (£24bn) in foreign aid - about $1,200 a head - since 2001, but only a small amount of that spending has had any impact, says BBC international development correspondent David Loyn.
Most has gone on security for what the World Bank calls a "second civil service" of highly paid foreign consultants operating outside the Afghan state. In a series of highly critical reports since 2001, the World Bank has accused the international community of not doing enough to build Afghanistan's ability to govern itself.

Scepticism in the US about the proposal to raise the proportion of aid that goes directly to the Afghan government from 20% to 50% has been strengthened with recent revelations of large villas in Dubai being funded by corrupt payments siphoned from aid budgets. ...... - Kabul set for historic conference

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