Herat Security Dialogue-X

10th Herat Security Dialogue (HSD- X)
“Inclusive Political System: The Way forward”
29-30 November 2022 - Dushanbe, Tajikistan

The Afghan conflict is becoming one of the world’s longest-running conflicts. The 1973 coup heralded five decades of unending political instability, regime change, foreign invasion, civil war, political oppression, and more importantly human suffusing. Afghanistan has experienced a spectrum of conflicts and correspondingly conflict-resoultion attempts. In a way, there has been a cycle of conflict(s) VS conflict resolution(s) that sustain the war. The 2001 Bonn process was aimed to address Afghanistan’s three decades of the conflict by creating a constitutional polity, supported by the international community. The February 2020 “Peace” Agreement between the US and the Taliban facilitated by Pakistan and hosted in Qatar effectively replaced the Bonn Process with the "Doha Process”.  However, the new “medicine” has exacerbated Afghanistan’s already choronic illnesses.   Afghanistan’s tragedy is not only the type and number of the diseases, but more importantly the prescribed remedies by a plethora of self-appointed physicians- local and external have deepened its suffering.     

In order to bring together diverse perspectives/prescribers, the Afghan Institute for strategic Studies (AISS) organised its inaugural event by launching its flash ship security forum, Herat Security Dialogue (HSD) in October 2012 and held nine consecutive conferences in Herat’s historic citadel till 2020.  Due to the recent upheaval, AISS could not organise its planned conference in 2021. The Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) is pleased to announce that the 10th Herat Security Dialogue (HSD) will be held on 29-30 November, 2022 in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Tajikistan and Tajikistan’s Centre for Afghanistan and Regional Studies will provide logistical assistance for organising the Conference, for which AISS conveys its appreciation.   This year’s conference theme will be “Inclusive Political System: The Way forward”. As with the previous nine conferences, HSD-10 will bring together representatives of Afghanistan’s key domestic, regional and global stakeholders to exchange views on identifying the way(s) forward in addressing Afghanistan’s multifaceted conflict in broader contexts. AISS is working with the UN to facilitate participation of Afghanistan-based participants, including representatives of the Taliban movement alongside other key political constituencies. Per HSD guidelines, all participants will attend in their individual/scholarly capacity and are encouraged to exchange views, rather than stating their respective official positions. All sessions will be streamlined via AISS media platforms as well as national and international media. The Conference does not aim to produce any specific set of recommendations, but strives towards bringing closer and clearer diverse views and analysis on Afghanistan, in the hope of exploring approaches towards an effective, legitimate and sustainable settlement.