Social contract and trust building: can another UN-supervised constitutional process bring peace to Afghanistan?

After the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, violence has significantly reduced, yet peace remains elusive. Hit-and-run tactics by military groups in urban centres persist, and women's rights activists are urging the international community not to recognize the Taliban while advocating for the recognition of gender apartheid as an international crime. With little prospect for military resistance support or Taliban recognition, Afghanistan remains in a political deadlock. The Taliban have abolished the constitution and rule by edict, raising the critical question: Can a constitutional process lead to peace and an acceptable government in Afghanistan?

The United Nations, through its efforts in Doha, aims to establish a constitutional process, yet the Taliban's refusal to accept a UN special representative hinders progress. Without an inclusive constitution, the path to safeguarding human rights, particularly for women, remains blocked.

This panel will explore the importance of constitutionalism in Afghanistan’s future, focusing on dialogue with the Taliban, and drawing lessons from post-2001 state-building efforts. Speakers will highlight the role of constitutional frameworks in fostering peace, protecting rights, and ensuring regional stability, while sharing comparative insights from other global experiences.

Speakers

• Professor William Maley - Emeritus Professor of Diplomacy, Australian National University (online)
• Sima Samar - FMR Chairperson of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission (Online)
• Mohammad Haroon Mutasem - Former Deputy Ombudsperson of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
• Dr. Zulfia Abawe - Researcher at the South Wales University
• Amb. Mirwais Samadi - Ambassador of Afghanistan in Athens (in-person)
• Ghizal Haress - FMR member of Afghanistan Independent Commission of Oversight on Implementation of the Constitution (on-line)

Moderator

• Amb. Marc George - Senior Diplomatic Advisor, Geneva Centre for Security Policy

Interpretation

Interpretation services are available for all events during Geneva Peace Week, both on-site and online, through Wordly AI  

Live streaming

All events during Geneva Peace Week will be available on-site and online.

Main organiser

• Center for Dialogue and Progress-Geneva (CDP-G)

Co-Organizers

• Action for Development (AfD)
• Association of Judges of Afghanistan (AJA)
• Centro per Dialogo e Solidarietà – Roma (CDS-R)