To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to draw up an agreement between the military and civilian authorities in Afghanistan to engender confidence. [HL4664]

UK forces, along with 41 other contributing nations, participate in the North Atlantic Treat Organisation's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan at the invitation of the democratically elected Afghan Government and at the request of the UN. The objective of the international community's involvement in Afghanistan is to establish the right security environment in which accountable and effective institutions can develop and Afghan-led reconstruction and development can be established. Gaining and securing the confidence of the Afghan population is critical to achieving our objectives. The newly appointed commander of ISAF, General Stanley McChrystal, is currently conducting a review of ISAF operations. We await its recommendations. We welcome General McChrystal's recent statements emphasising ISAF's determination to protect the Afghan population from the insurgents and to seek to minimise the effect of ISAF operations on the population. The UK will continue to support ISAF and the Government of Afghanistan in their efforts to do this. ISAF and the wider international community working in Afghanistan, including the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, will continue to work closely with the Government of Afghanistan and the Afghan National Security Forces in pursuit of their objectives on behalf of the people of Afghanistan.