by Leanne Smith MPP ’08

Seven years after the Bonn Agreement—which laid out the course for a new and democratic beginning for Afghanistan—the Liechtenstein Institute on Self-Determination (LISD)  brought together more than 90 experts from around the world to participate in a colloquium in Bonn/Petersberg, Germany from September 4–7.  The colloquium, funded in part by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, focused on a critical, open, and constructive analysis of the current situation in Afghanistan and searched for new ideas and recommendations for ways in which the Afghan government and the international community might improve their current strategies in the interest of all Afghans. The colloquium followed the release of LISD’s State, Security, and Economy in Afghanistan report.

The group of experts at the colloquium, several of whom were present at the original Bonn Conference in 2001, included policymakers, academics, parliamentarians, military officers, NGO representatives, U.N. officials, think tanks, foundations, diplomats, journalists, and students. The conference included a crucial cross section of prominent representatives including Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Dr. Rangin Spanta, who opened the meeting; Afghan ambassadors to the U.N., Germany, and Austria; parliamentarians; ministers; representatives of the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission and the Independent Electoral Commission; NGOs; and academics.

Seven themes critical for Afghanistan’s future were discussed: security; the rule of law and governance; elections; economics, agriculture, infrastructure and energy; human development and culture; and relationships in the region between Afghanistan, Central Asia, Iran and Pakistan. Over three days the group debated these themes and developed a range of recommendations for the international community, the Afghan Government, and the countries of the region.

One of the key recommendations on which participants agreed was that any solution to the security situation in Afghanistan must be a regional one. Multi-party talks under the auspices of the U.N. are needed, including the U.S., E.U., Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the northern Afghan border states. A second recommendation asserted that there cannot be a purely military victory in Afghanistan today, given Taliban strength and inadequate international troop numbers. This option, therefore, needs more discussion by, and with, Afghans. Regarding the upcoming Presidential and Parliamentary elections in Afghanistan, the conference recommended that the international community begin preparations now for a second-round of voting—which is likely to be considerably more tense— due to the likelihood that no candidate would clear the 50% hurdle.

In cooperation with the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, LISD delivered the recommendations in a panel discussion in Washington, D.C. on October 21, which was attended by a diverse group of academics, U.S. Administration officials and foreign diplomats.

A final conference document, The LISD Petersberg Paper on Afghanistan, will be available on the LISD website. The document will be produced in four languages: English, German, Dari, and Pashtu.