Tokyo conference sign of commitment to Afghanistan

World leaders are expected to pledge several billion dollars in aid for Afghanistan at a conference next week in Tokyo.

But a senior member of Japan's delegation said they must be prepared to dig deeper into their pockets.

More than 50 countries are due to meet in the Japanese capital to draw up an initial blueprint for rebuilding Afghanistan.

"We have to approach this conference with the recognition that our work is just beginning," said Sadako Ogata, a former UN High Commissioner for Refugees who is Japan's special envoy on Afghan reconstruction.

They are expected to pledge up to €3.8bn to pay for the first two and a half years of reconstruction in the country.

That includes a €634m donation by Japan that Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will announce in a speech opening the conference.

The United States is reportedly planning to pledge €507m, and contributions from 15 European Union members are expected to top €444m.

But the money promised in Tokyo will cover only the most pressing of Afghanistan's needs, including paying the bills of a newly formed interim government.

"We need coordination on the ground in Afghanistan," Sadako Ogata said. "It's not something that can be done from as far away as Tokyo or New York or Washington."