Building Peace and Connectivity through Research and Dialogue

Dialogue Participants: “clear divide” in “opinion, concerns, and approach” among global partners

During a Track II dialogue, hosted by the Heart of Asia Society and Center for Conflict and Humanitarian Studies on Sep. 28th, participants from Afghanistan, the region, and around the world discussed the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.

Participants agreed that Afghanistan’s humanitarian, economic, economic and human rights crisis continue and while the fighting may have ended, stability and peace will require inclusivity of all political and demographic groups, as well as engagement and cooperation from the international community. Participants agreed that the response and the engagement of the international community must become united.

Dialogue participants also highlighted the “clear divide” in “opinion, concerns, and approach” between the West and countries in the region in engaging with the new government in Afghanistan. This split is likely to grow unless effective multilateral efforts are made, preferably led by the United Nation, to coordinate regional and international responses.

The future of the Afghan state led by the Taliban remains uncertain but participant agreed that it’s a shared responsibility of the Taliban and the international community to prevent a humanitarian disaster and economic collapse in Afghanistan.