The Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS) in partnership with the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs is organising a one-day conference with the title ‘Afghanistan Towards 2014 ─ Prospects for Development, Security and a National Political Settlement’ on 11 April 2013 in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen. Apart from other prominent participants – among them two Danish and an Afghan minister, AIHRC chair Sima Samar and Ahmad Rashid – AAN’s Thomas Ruttig also will speak.
This 360 degree conference on state building in Afghanistan pulls together high-level Afghan and Danish Ministers, leading civil society representatives and outstanding experts in a discussion of the prospects and challenges of Afghanistan after 2014. The vast majority of international forces will have left the country by then and the military pull-out will expectedly mark a new chapter in Afghan history.
The challenges and prospects for Afghanistan after 2014 depend on how the development on many different levels turns out: Will the Afghan National Security Forces be ready to fill out their intended role as security providers? What would be the outcome of the Presidential elections in 2014 and the hesitant steps towards national reconciliation? How can the regional dynamics and power games be expected to affect the prospects for peace and stability in Afghanistan? And not least, how can the Afghan power holders and the international community cultivate sustainable development in Afghanistan in order to make the country more resilient towards violent conflict and less dependent on international aid? (text by DIIS, see also here)
Venue and timing:
Thursday, 11 April 2013, 08.30-16.15
Christiansborg (Danish Parliament)
Fællessalen, Visitors Entrance
1240 Copenhagen K
Speakers:
Villy Søvndal, Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs
Christian Friis Bach, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation
Wais Barmak, Afghan Minister for Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development
Mohammad Naim Baluch, Afghan Governor of the Helmand Province
Candace Rondeaux, Afghanistan expert, Fordham University Law School
Thomas Ruttig, Senior Analyst and Co-Director, Afghanistan Analyst Network
Ahmed Rashid, Author and Analyst on Afghanistan and Pakistan
Sima Samar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission
Mona Kanwal Sheikh, Postdoc. DIIS
Programme:
08.30-09.15 Coffee/Tea and Registration
09.15-09.20 Welcome
09.20-10.00 On the Path Towards Full Afghan Responsibility –
Risks and Rewards
Villy Søvndal, Danish Minister for Foreign Affairs
Q & A
10.00-10.30 Afghan Security After 2014
Candace Rondeaux, Afghanistan expert, Fordham University Law School
10.30-11.05 A Political Solution with the Taleban – is it Possible?
Thomas Ruttig, Senior Analyst and Co-Director, Afghanistan
Analyst Network
11.05-11.30 Coffee/Tea Break
11.30-13.00 How to Ensure Stainable Development in Afghanistan?
Christian Friis Bach, Danish Minister for Development Cooperation
Wais Barmak, Afghan Minister for Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and
Development
Mohammad Naim Baluch, Afghan Governor of the Helmand Province
Q & A
13.00-13.45 Sandwich Lunch for Speakers and Participants
13.45-15.00 Regional Aspects of Peace and Stability –
What can we Expect?
Ahmed Rashid, Author and Analyst on Afghanistan and Pakistan
15.00-15.20 Coffee/Tea Break
15.15-16.00 Civil Society and Human Rights in Afghanistan
Sima Samar, Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human
Rights Commission
16.00-16.15 Closing Remarks
Moderator: Mona Kanwal Sheikh, Postdoc, DIIS
Practical Information:
The conference will be held in English. Participation is free of charge and includes lunch.
Due to security restrictions registration is required no later than Thursday, 4 April 2013 at 12.00 noon. Please use online registration, to be found here.
Please note that the confirmations may be delayed due to the Easter holiday.
Please note that the doors will be closed at 09.15 after which entry will not be possible.
Revisions:
This article was last updated on 9 Mar 2020
