The International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) and Young Professionals in Foreign Policy (YPFP) are pleased to invite you to a panel discussion supported by NATO on:

“Afghanistan – A Way Forward”

October 30, 2007 6.30 – 8 p.m.

Violence in Afghanistan has been on the rise in 2007 and there is a danger that Afghans are becoming increasingly disillusioned with a state-building process that has failed to deliver the peace dividend they were promised. For many Afghans, their security situation since the fall of the Taliban has not improved. Whether it is predatory warlords, the Taliban-led insurgency, the burgeoning narcotics trade, corruption at various government levels, or general criminality, the threats to the security and stability of Afghanistan are manifold. Overcoming these challenges is the daunting task the international community in support of the Afghan government face if Afghanistan is to emerge as a stable state. NATO is by no means the only actor with large responsibilities in this regard although its efforts to create a secure and stable environment for reconstruction and development to take place are vital.

The IISS and YPFP, with the generous support of the NATO Public Diplomacy Division, have come together to host a meeting exploring the current and emerging challenge to security in Afghanistan to promote discussion on how the Afghan government, NATO, and other international actors can move towards success. Moderated by Christopher Langton, IISS Senior Fellow for Conflict and Defence Diplomacy, the panel will include Chris Riley, Strategic Director, NATO Media Operations Centre; Mark Sedra, University of Waterloo; Cyrus Hodes, Centre for Defence Analysis, Washington, DC; Ayesha Khan, Researcher, Cambridge University & Chatham House, and, finally, Farid Popal, Embassy of Afghanistan, London. Mark Sedra and Cyrus Hodes have co-authored IISS Adelphi Paper 391 on Afghanistan entitled “The Search for Security in Post-Taliban Afghanistan” which will be published shortly.