For Immediate Release, July 16, 2010
Contact: Lauren Sucher, lsucher@usip.org or 202/429-3822
               Allison Sturma, asturma@usip.org or 202/429-4725

(Washington/Kabul) – Afghanistan experts from the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) are available for background and comment on the Kabul conference on July 20th and reaction to any developments.

USIP staff based in Kabul are available to speak about the Afghan expectations going into next week's international conference, as well as the general situation on the ground and governance issues.

Shahmahmood Miakhel, USIP's chief of party in Afghanistan, observed:

"The Kabul conference will demonstrate international community’s commitment to support the Afghan government’s progress towards peace and stability, but many questions remain of how to achieve peace and stability in Afghanistan in the absence of effective governance on national and local level."

Senior Rule of Law Adviser John Dempsey added:

"There have been a number of international conferences on Afghanistan over the past few years, but this is the first time the government in Kabul is hosting such an event.  The Afghans want to show that they play a central role in the efforts to improve security and governance in the country, while the international community hopes to display its firm determination to transfer responsibility for securing the country to an Afghan lead."

In Washington, D.C., Afghanistan experts Scott Worden, interim director of Afghanistan programs at USIP, and Barmak Pazhwak, a program officer, commented on the U.S. government's objectives and concerns going into the conference.

Worden stated:

"The conference is an important opportunity to maintain momentum on building support for the second Karzai administration and to develop consensus between international partners and the Afghan government about how to end the war.  While no clear answers or a clear negotiation strategy will come out of the conference, hopefully having world leaders and Afghan leaders together in Kabul will reinforce the urgency of arriving at a clear, practicable strategy that can reverse the negative trends of security and governance over the past few years."

Pazhwak added:

"Going into the conference, U.S. foreign policy objectives may include a demonstration of renewed international commitment to the U.S.-led efforts and boosting the legitimacy of the government in Kabul. We have to wait and see if the conference will address concerns raised by Congress particularly on issues related to governance and corruption." 

USIP Afghanistan experts are available for additional comment:

John Dempsey, senior rule of law adviser
Dempsey specializes in rule of law and security issues. He has lived in Afghanistan since 2003.

Cell: +93-799-321-349
E-mail: jdempsey@usip.org

Shahmahmood Miakhel, chief of party, Afghanistan
Miakhel directs USIP's work on the ground in Afghanistan. He has previous served with the United Nations Mission in Afghanistan and the Afghanistan interior ministry.

E-mail: smiakhel@usip.org

Barmak Pazhwak, program officer
Pazhwak coordinates USIP's Grant Program for Afghanistan. He previous worked with the U.N. Development Program.

Cell: 202/360-0974
Office: 202/429-4718
E-mail: bpazhwak@usip.org

Scott Worden, interim director of Afghanistan programs and senior rule of law adviser
Worden works on transitional justice and rule of law initiatives. He was appointed by the United Nations to serve on the Electoral Complaints Commission for the 2009 Afghanistan presidential elections.

Cell: 703/944-3348
Office: 202/429-3811
E-mail: sworden@usip.org

Additional Resources:

• "Rebuilding Afghanistan's Political Immunity," USIP Peace Brief
  This June 2010 brief by Shahmahmood Miakhel and Whit Mason highlights the importance of Afghanistan’s customary system of dispute resolution, and the need to increase recognition of and support for its work.

• "Health Initiatives and Counterinsurgency Strategy in Afghanistan, " USIP Peace Brief

  This March 2010 brief suggests that health development in Afghanistan should be driven by longer-term goals that include enhancing the capacity of the Afghan government to deliver health services.

• USIP in Afghanistan
  

  USIP's Web page on Afghanistan includes summaries of the Institute's work on the ground and a complete list of USIP's resources.

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The United States Institute of Peace provides the analysis, training and tools that help to prevent, manage and end violent international conflicts, promote stability and professionalize the field of peacebuilding. Learn more at www.usip.org.