President Ghani’s announcement at last week’s Kabul Process Conference of a peace offer to the Taliban was a potential watershed in the Afghan peace process, and arguably the most forward-leaning plan for peace with the Taliban the Afghan government has ever put forward.

Peace Processes

Join the U.S. Institute of Peace on February 12 as regional experts assess the current state of U.S.-Pakistan relations and discuss how the United States’ security concerns in the region are likely to shape future ties.

Conflict Analysis & Prevention

On December 7, specialists on China’s economic development and fragile states examined what the “China model” really is and whether China’s experiences can provide lessons on development for other countries, and discussed how Chinese investments and assistance might help mitigate or complicate local conditions in countries experiencing violent conflict. 

Environment;  Global Policy;  Economics

North Korea and the United States have offered signals of openness to diplomacy. But how real is that possibility? Leading experts on North Korea and nuclear proliferation gathered at USIP to discuss this urgent question.

Conflict Analysis & Prevention;  Global Policy

The new U.S. effort to stabilize Afghanistan includes a more confrontational approach toward neighboring Pakistan. What are the advantages and costs of that approach, and how should the United States now calibrate its engagement with Pakistan? On October 18, USIP held this discussion. Four senior American officials, who collectively have worked through decades of turbulent U.S.-Pakistan relations, debated these questions and the impact of the new U.S. approach on Pakistan and the region.

Mediation, Negotiation & Dialogue;  Global Policy

President Trump’s August 21 announcement of a new strategy for Afghanistan and South Asia has unsettled U.S.-Pakistan relations, with serious implications for U.S. interests in Afghanistan, nuclear non-proliferation, and stability in the region. On October 5, USIP held a discussion with Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif—Pakistan’s first public, high-level engagement with the U.S. policy community in Washington on the new strategy.

Global Policy;  Conflict Analysis & Prevention

To achieve stability, effective governance and prosperity, Afghanistan needs to reform and restructure its political institutions. This is a tall order in a country that is still reeling from years of turmoil, but it is not impossible. The U.S. Institute of Peace and the U.K.-based Overseas Development Institute held a panel discussion in London on July 10 that explored concrete steps and reforms that should be taken before 2020 to provide the foundation for long-term political stability.

On June 21, USIP took a first look at the results of a study by the Empirical Studies of Conflict Project at Princeton University, which can inform more effective stabilization work in future conflicts.

Fragility & Resilience;  Democracy & Governance;  Justice, Security & Rule of Law