Oxfam reaction to Tokyo Conference: Continued support to Afghanistan welcomed, but development gains still at risk

Oxfam Afghanistan's head of policy and advocacy, Louise Hancock, said:

"The commitment to give $4bn a year until 2015 and to continue to support Afghanistan at a similar level until 2017 is vital and welcomed. But it is unclear how much of this is new investment or what will happen after 2017. It will take decades, not five years, to pull Afghans out of poverty. When we look at what has been achieved in the last 11 years, it is clear that looking forward, it will be difficult to achieve more progress with less aid.

"More effective measures to tackle waste and fight corruption were badly needed. Donors agree that Afghan organizations must be supported to hold their own government to account, but they fell short of explaining how they are going to do this.

"Afghan women and girls were looking to the international community to protect the progress they have made in the last decade and they have been let down. Some important steps have been taken, notably in a renewed commitment to their constitutional rights and better implementation of laws. But this is still not enough to entrench the fragile gains that have been made so far. There are not enough concrete steps or firm affirmations of how women will play a better role in the transformation phase of their country."