Looking towards Peace in Afghanistan after the US-NATO Withdrawal

About the Conference

Since its inception, the Afghan peace process has suffered from knowledge gaps regarding the positions and views of various parties to the conflict. This has impeded efforts to secure a lasting peace settlement. Currently, there remains a dearth of rigorous analysis of key issues of contention in intra-Afghan negotiations. The wave of fast-paced developments in recent months has produced new and uncertain dynamics that require fresh examination and questioning. As the US-NATO military withdrawal draws closer and concludes, what will the future of Afghanistan hold?

The lack of accurate information continues to pose an obstacle for stakeholders in the fragile negotiations process, particularly as they try to identify possibilities for reaching compromise in the current small window of opportunity for peace. There is a need to deepen ongoing discussions about the complexities of the peace process and to develop a scholarly knowledge base of the emerging points of contention, one that is grounded in a broader theoretical analysis of peacemaking.

As such, the Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies (CHS) and Arab Center Washington DC (ACW) are jointly organizing a three-day online conference at this timely juncture. It will bring together leading experts on Afghanistan to discuss the main thematic debates of the negotiations, the most pressing issues of the ongoing peace process, and the prospects for peace following the US-NATO military withdrawal this fall. Speakers will address topics concerning the complexities of the formal negotiation process and the nature of a potential political settlement. They will also consider long-term planning for core recovery concerns and cross-sectoral and sustainable peacebuilding, including refugee return and peace education, from the perspective of inclusivity.

Conference Panels

Day 1: Monday, June 21, 2021

Morning Keynote