By Caribbean News Global 
OTTAWA, Canada – Karina Gould, minister of international development, today announced that the government of Canada is pledging $270 million over the next three years (2021 – 2024) in bilateral development assistance to Afghanistan.
Minister Gould made the announcement at the 2020 Afghanistan conference, a virtual ministerial pledging conference co-hosted by the government of Afghanistan, the government of Finland and the United Nations.
Canada’s contribution, and the Afghanistan Conference, comes at a critical point in Afghanistan’s history, as peace talks offer the Afghan people the possibility of peace for the first time in a generation.
While important progress has been made, Afghanistan remains one of the world’s poorest and most fragile states, and its need for development assistance remains high. The COVID-19 pandemic has aggravated already difficult conditions, crippling an economy that had been steadily growing and overburdening already stretched health resources.
The renewed funding includes a contribution to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund, as well as support for projects in priority areas such as health and education; women’s empowerment; human rights; and women, peace and security.
Today’s pledge also fulfills Canada’s commitment to support Afghanistan’s plan for self-reliance, the Transformation Decade (2015 – 2024).
Minister Gould said: “Human rights, the rights of women and girls, democracy, the rule of law—these are values that are as cherished by Afghans as they are by Canadians. We cannot allow those values to be eroded. While Canada remains deeply committed to Afghanistan, we are equally committed to working with its elected government, Afghans and the international community to ensure that gains are not lost.”
