ABSTRACT
Other crucial developments occurred at the London Conference on Afghanistan, which took place at the end of January 2006. The conference saw the signing of the Afghanistan Compact5 and the presentation of the Interim Afghanistan National Development Strategy (I-ANDS),6 which also represented the country’s I-PRSP. The former was basically a political agreement between the Afghan Government and the international community towards the achievement of 42 benchmarks within a five-year term. The Compact’s rule of law component was made up of four benchmarks, which mirrored those within the I-ANDS. Such benchmarks were related to the adoption and dissemination of new codes and laws, the establishment of functioning justice institutions, the adoption of anti-corruption procedures, as well as the construction and rehabilitation of judicial infrastructure.7 The London
within five years. The Compact was eventually endorsed by the Security Council, which also welcomed the I-ANDS adoption.8 In line with the World Bank’s CDF model, the event also created the Joint Coordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB, effectively established in April 2006), designed to monitor progress towards the achievement of the benchmarks included in the Compact.9 The JCMB is composed of 28 members, three quarters of whom are international actors.10 The remaining seven include the most relevant Afghan Ministers,11 who therefore represent the minority of participants, even though the Afghan government co-chairs the Board together with UNAMA. The JCMB meets at least four times per year and, up until mid-2008, its meetings were preceded by the preparatory meetings of consultative and working groups.
