Afghanistan has entered a pivotal but uncertain time. A peace process to end the 18-year war has gathered steam, with talks between the U.S. and Taliban appearing to make substantial progress on foreign troop presence and counterterrorism. Negotiations among Afghans on the country’s political future have not begun, however, and last week’s conference in Doha that might have launched these discussions collapsed at the last minute. Diplomatic contacts continue, but the security situation throughout the country is dire as the Taliban gear up for what is likely to be another bloody fighting season. 

During this moment of rapid developments, rare opportunity, and considerable uncertainty, the U.S. Institute of Peace hosted a distinguished panel of experts examine what’s next for the Afghan peace process.

Follow the conversation with #Afghanpeace.

Speakers

Scott Worden, welcoming remarks
Director, Afghanistan and Central Asia Program, U.S. Institute of Peace

Belquis Ahmadi
Senior Program Officer, U.S. Institute of Peace

Jarrett Blanc
Senior Fellow, Geoeconomics and Strategy Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

Lotfullah Najafizada
Director, TOLOnews TV

Scott Smith
Technical Advisor, Afghanistan, U.S Institute of Peace 

Johnny Walsh, moderator
Senior Expert, Afghanistan, U.S. Institute of Peace

Related Publications

The Latest @ USIP: Reclaiming Human Rights in Afghanistan

The Latest @ USIP: Reclaiming Human Rights in Afghanistan

Wednesday, April 17, 2024

By: Fatima Gailani

Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed their own interpretation of Islamic law onto the people of Afghanistan and consistently rolled back human rights protections — especially for women and girls — all while the country struggles to recover from decades of conflict and economic crisis. USIP spoke with Fatima Gailani, the former president of the Afghan Red Crescent Society, about the various ways Afghans can put pressure on the Taliban to reclaim their rights and demand a better future.

Type: Blog

GenderHuman Rights

Asfandyar Mir on Why ISIS-K Attacked Moscow

Asfandyar Mir on Why ISIS-K Attacked Moscow

Monday, April 1, 2024

By: Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.

ISIS-K’s recent attack on the Russian capital was, in part, intended to assert the organization’s growing capacity to inflict terror beyond its home base of Afghanistan. “By reaching Moscow, ISIS-K is trying to signal it has the geographic reach to hit anywhere in the world,” says USIP’s Asfandyar Mir.

Type: Podcast

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Moscow Concert Hall Attack Will Have Far-Reaching Impact

Wednesday, March 27, 2024

By: Mary Glantz, Ph.D.;  Gavin Helf, Ph.D.;  Asfandyar Mir, Ph.D.;  Andrew Watkins

On Friday, terrorists attacked the Crocus City Hall outside Moscow leaving 140 people dead and 80 others critically wounded. Soon after, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack. The terrorist group, which is headquartered in Iraq and Syria, has several branches, including in South and Central Asia. Press reports suggest the U.S. government believes the Afghanistan-based affiliate of the Islamic State, ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K), was behind the attack. The Biden administration has publicly noted that it had warned the Russian government of the terrorism threat in early March in line with the procedure of “Duty to Warn.”

Type: Question and Answer

Global Policy

The Challenges Facing Afghans with Disabilities

The Challenges Facing Afghans with Disabilities

Thursday, February 29, 2024

By: Belquis Ahmadi

In Afghanistan, obtaining accurate data on the number of persons with disabilities — including gender-disaggregated information — has always been a challenging endeavor. But based on the data we do have, it’s clear that more than four decades of violent conflict have left a considerable portion of the Afghan population grappling with various forms of disabilities, both war-related and otherwise. And the pervasive lack of protective mechanisms, social awareness and empathy surrounding disability continue to pose formidable challenges for individuals with disabilities, with women being disproportionately affected.

Type: Analysis

GenderHuman Rights

View All Publications