After returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have only very selectively followed up on the promises they made to the world. While security has improved and drugs are eradicated, unparallelled restrictions are imposed on girls and women as well as on public debate and political participation. In turn, different countries have adapted different strategies towards the Taliban administration. Norway has been at the forefront of dialogue with the Taliban, even it has not established diplomatic representation.
Neighbouring countries have prioritised closer contact for trade and security reasons. Some Western countries want to take the Taliban to the International Court of Justice for their restrictions on women and girls, heeding the calls of many Afghan women rights defenders to hold the Taliban accountable. Some argue for a total disengagement from the Taliban altogether.
Many of those who advocate for dialogue, closer collaboration and more long-term aid point to the gravity of the humanitarian and climate crisis in Afghanistan. UN and NGO staff, as well as female activists inside Afghanistan, focus on day-to-day negotiations to carve out the space to make a practical difference to everyday lives under increasingly challenging conditions.
Those advocating for engagement worry that isolating the Taliban will leave Afghans starving and at the mercy of Taliban hardliners and the interests of regional powers. They suggest that public statements and diplomacy will be counterproductive and only serve to harden the Taliban’s position. On the other hand, those favouring a more confrontational approach against the Taliban fear that engagement and support will consolidate totalitarian rule for generations to come.
At the main event of the 2024 Afghanistan Week, we will discuss the options and dilemmas surrounding Norwegian and international approaches to Afghanistan. We will start with an introduction by Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, on how the Norwegian government understands the situation and what is see itself doing in the years ahead. Following his presentation, Kravik meets Afghan experts in a panel debate. Important questions include:
- How can Norway best navigate competing considerations, whether through its direct engagement or through international collaboration?
- How can the Norwegian government balance concerns for an impoverished population and the effects of sanctions, with concerns for gender discrimination and human rights violations?
- How can Norway best continue to make a difference for Afghans?
Panel
- Andreas Motzfeldt Kravik, State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- Fatima Gailani, women's right activist and political leader
- Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan Researcher in the Asia division at Human Rights Watch
- Madina Mahboobi
The conversation will be moderated by Kristian Berg Harpviken, Research Professor at PRIO.
