Afghanistan

Just weeks before US troops fully withdraw from Afghanistan—and as Taliban fighters conquer more territory across the country—Ahmad Massoud says he is open to negotiations with the militants.

Afghanistan human rights defender Horia Mosadiq provides an analysis of the current situation for human rights defenders and other civil society actors on the ground.

Munira Yousefzada, former Afghan deputy minister of defense, joins Fariba Pajooh for an interview about the ongoing situation in Afghanistan and the peace process.

Despite being on the receiving end of threats, harassment, intimidation, violence, and assassinations, Afghanistan’s human rights defenders continue to fight for the rights of Afghans. Join the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center for a discussion with some of Afghanistan’s leading human rights defenders and experts to explore what lies ahead for the activists who put their lives on the line to fight violence, impunity, and militancy.

The Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center and the Afghanistan Mechanism for Inclusive Peace (AMIP) host a conversation on the importance of an inclusive peace process in Afghanistan that truly reflects the people whom it represents.

On July 20, 2020 the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center hosted a panel discussion on the role of victims in Afghanistan’s peace process. Marika Theros, a nonresident senior fellow at the South Asia Center, moderated the discussion which was paneled by Shaharzad Akbar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission; Sergio Jamarillo Caro, Former High Commissioner for Peace for Colombia; and Hadi Marifat, Executive Director of the Afghanistan Human Rights and Democracy Organization.

On April 1, 2021, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center hosted an event on the politics of knowledge production in Afghanistan and how we can make the policy space more representative and reflective of the peoples, histories, and realities on the ground.

On May 28, 2021, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center, the Eurasia Center, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty hosted an event to discuss Russian and Iranian perspectives on the Afghan Peace Process.

On Thursday January 7, 2021, the Atlantic Council’s South Asia Center partnered with the U.S.-Afghan Women’s Council (USAWC) and the American Council on Women, Peace and Security (WPS) to host an event on women’s gains in Afghanistan, the critical role of Afghan women in Afghanistan’s peace and security, and the role of US actors in partnering with and empowering Afghan women.