72 countries represented at The Hague conference on Afghanistan; US to provide $40 million for Afghan presidential elections; Stabilising Afghanistan figures prominently at the G20 and NATO Summits; NATO allies agree to contribute 5,000 additional troops
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    • At the UN conference on Afghanistan at The Hague during the week, representative of 72 nations pledged to do their bit to help stabilize the situation in that country. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the conference that the first priority will be to ensure a smooth conduct of the presidential elections, scheduled for August 22. Clinton announced that the US would contribute $40 million of the $220 million requested by the UN to support a "fair and secure" electoral process. Clinton also admitted that there has been a widespread failure in the management of aid programs in Afghanistan1.

    Measures to stabilise Afghanistan also figured prominently in the discussions at the G-20 summit in London on April 2 as well as at NATO's historic 60th anniversary Summit held in Strasbourg on April 3. NATO leaders agreed to send 5,000 additional military personnel to help provide security for the upcoming elections and train Afghan security forces. An additional $100 million was pledged for a fund to build and sustain the Afghan army2. President Obama on his part welcomed the troop commitment as "a strong down payment" towards securing Afghanistan3.

    In other developments, Taliban militants carried out an attack on a government office in Kandhar province, killing 13 people, including two provincial government officials on April 1 while NATO forces killed 12 insurgents in an operation later in the week4.

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