Why Canada Needs a Special
Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan
By Sharif Ghalib
Canada, February 23, 2009
The Obama administration’s decision to appoint a special representative for
Pakistan and Afghanistan has given renewed prominence to the perilous situation
in Afghanistan and its correlating regional intricacies.
Acting upon his long-held characterization of the country as a strategic
priority for the US, President Obama seems to have been trying to revise US’s
murky policies over the past years vis-à-vis the country, and develop a strategy
for the region as a whole.
The approach, welcomed by Afghanistan and earning broad praise in the region
and across the world, aims to ensure, as stated, paying closer attention to
different security, military, development and humanitarian layers and facets of
the rapidly deteriorating situation inside Afghanistan. In addition, it is said
to be setting sights on scrutinizing the pre-existing cross-border nexus between
the evolving situation and the neighbouring Pakistan within regional context.
Moving largely along the same line by the US, Britain and Germany, two NATO
allies each bearing a ‘major donor’ status in Afghanistan, quickly followed the
move by naming their own special envoys for Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Reaching the boiling point by and large due to weak governance attributable
chiefly to the deeply flawed centralized system of government unable to manage
and deliver the coast to coast security and reconstruction needs of the
provinces, and a lack of focus, cohesive policies and coordination by the US and
NATO member-states, the situation in Afghanistan, if not heeded, and for that
matter fixed soon, carries the potential to spiral into an existential threat to
the government of Afghanistan and in fact the entire stabilization and
democratization process in the country.
However, to undo the turmoil, the international community will have to seize
this opportunity to commit itself to re-examining its erstwhile approach, in its
totality, towards all the military, development, humanitarian and
counter-narcotics issues. And doing so requires adoption of a more pragmatic
attitude toward the greater socio-political definition and character of the
present-day Afghanistan, supported by plausible symmetrical policies.
The appointment of special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan by President
Obama and the closely succeeded appointments by British and German governments
of their special representatives all signify the somewhat collective
understanding of the international community of the deep-seated problems facing
Afghanistan. It also exhibits the willingness of the international community to
act.
In view of the above, and given its high-up status as a major donor and troop
contributing nation in Afghanistan, Canada may need to consider following suit
by appointment of a special representative for the countries. Just as the other
two European allies, Canada’s magnanimous level and parameter of involvement in
Afghanistan makes one such decision important in more than one way.
First of all, appointing a special envoy by Canada -- along with other key
nations involved in Afghanistan -- will showcase the unity of purpose. Taking
consistent measures at regional level by Canada, transcending the activities in
the theatre in Kandahar, will most definitely render more efficacy and weight to
the new efforts for achieving the ultimate objective of durable peace.
Secondly, it will bring more concert to Canada’s interactive endeavours with
all the recently appointed envoys and those who may join in at a later stage.
Thirdly, it will secure Canada a space at an intergraded regional platform,
while also making it much easier to coordinate things with the government of
Afghanistan.
And finally, the appointment will bestow Canada the opportunity to
re-examine, reassess, and if need be, re-define its policies via an envoy, other
than those already on the ground, to be able to carry an assorted mandate
entailing extensive local, regional and global diplomacy.
Sharif Ghalib served at the UN for ten years, and was the first Afghan
diplomat to negotiate the establishment of full bilateral diplomatic and
consular relations between Afghanistan and Canada at resident-embassy level. He
opened the Embassy of Afghanistan in Ottawa in late 2002 and served as the
country’s Charge d’Affaires, a.i., and Minister Counsellor until 2005. He is the
honorary president of the Canadian Afghan Council (CAC). He can be reached via
e-mail: sharif_sahmas@yahoo.ca
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