The agreement signed by the US government and the Taliban on 29 February 2020 has raised political and economic questions about the sustainability of a potential intra-Afghan peace process. While the two parties have agreed on a pathway forward, it is unclear whether the Afghan government will be able to negotiate a deal with the Taliban that sustains the gains of recent years, particularly in areas of education, women’s rights, freedom of expression and the continuity of state institutions. Another major task will be reintegrating more than 60,000 Taliban fighters and the challenges this poses of guaranteeing security once US troops fully withdraw from the country.

At this critical moment in the peace process, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) and Interpeace are delighted to invite you to a high-level webinar.

Please see further details below and RSVP by Friday, 11 September, via the following link.

Date: Tuesday, 15 September
Time: 11.00 – 12.30 Brussels/Geneva time (UTC +2) // 13.30 – 15.00 Kabul time (UTC +4:30)

Based on the research paper ‘Prospects and Economic Priorities for a Durable Peace in Afghanistan’, the following key questions will be asked:

• How can long-term peacebuilding be financed while the economy continues to suffer from the consequences of COVID-19 and donors are reducing their spending?
• What are the economic investments needed to increase self-reliance and foster an inclusive economic system?
• How can the economy help make peace sustainable?

You can find the research paper for download here and an executive summary here.