NATO Allies and Partners and the donors’ community committed to continue supporting the financial sustainment of the Afghan Security Forces

Through the launch of the adapted Afghan National Army Trust Fund last year, NATO responded to “the International Community’s commitment in the framework of the 2012 Chicago Summit to continue to support the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in its efforts to sustain sufficient and capable National Defence and Security Forces. As reaffirmed at the NATO Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Antalya (Turkey) last month, and again at the Defence Ministers’ meeting at the NATO headquarters yesterday, this commitment remains as valid today as it was in 2012,” NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow said.

Today’s meeting took stock of the implementation of management arrangements set out last year, including the establishment of a NATO Trust Fund Office and a Trust Fund Implementation Plan, aimed at ensuring the Trust Fund’s cost-effectiveness, financial integrity and accountability. Participants also discussed the status of the ongoing coordination in Afghanistan between the Afghan authorities and various funding streams for the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces, including the adapted Afghan National Army Trust Fund itself, the Law and Order Trust Fund for the Afghan Police, the budgetary contributions of the Afghan Government, and the bilateral contributions, especially the bilateral Afghan Security Forces Fund of the United States.

“The total contributions to the Afghan National Army Trust Fund, since the start of the fund in 2007 now exceed 1.2 billion US dollars. The Fund can count on around 430 million USD per year, in both 2016 and 2017,” Ambassador Vershbow said. “In mid-2016 we will have the NATO Summit in Warsaw. With regard to NATO’s continued engagement with Afghanistan, a priority for the Summit is the continued sustainment of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces beyond 2017,” he added.

The Afghan National Army Trust Fund board is composed of national representatives of donour nations and the Trust Fund manager (represented by the United States). NATO Deputy Secretary General and the German Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan co-chair the board. The first plenary meeting of the board was on 1 September 2014.