A comprehensive exchange about military and political intervention in the region

After two decades of post-9/11 Western and international engagement in Afghanistan, foreign military troops withdrew in August 2021 and left behind many Afghans who are now facing an uncertain future under the re-installed Taliban regime. This moment calls for a reflection on what the lessons from Afghanistan mean for the future of the theory and policy practice of core issues related to war, peace and justice.

During this one-day conference, we are bringing together scholars, civil society representatives, and policy makers to contribute to a comprehensive exchange about military and political intervention in the region, from the perspectives of Afghanistan and its neighbor countries, and from Europe. Contributions critically discuss the impact of foreign interventions on regional security, human rights, and statebuilding, and the past and future of European approaches to security abroad.

The conference is organized jointly by LUCIR (Leiden University’s Centre for International Relations), ISGA (Institute of Security and Global Affairs) and GTGC (Global Transformations and Global Challenges Initiative), all at Leiden University, The Netherlands.

Programme Friday 3 December 2021

8:45 CET: Opening Remarks: Joachim Koops, Leiden University (ISGA)

9:00-10:30 CET: Regional Perspectives on International Interventions and Security
Chair: Beatrix Futak-Campbell, Leiden University

• Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Deakin University, Melbourne
  • Geopolitical dynamics concerning Afghanistan and the role of Pakistan 
• Salma Malik, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad
  • China's interest in future Afghanistan and its implications
• Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), Delhi
  • Afghanistan: The Cost of Haste and Precedents 
• Muge Kinacioglu, Leiden University
  • Mission Accomplished? NATO intervention and Turkey in Afghanistan

11:00-12:30 CET: Human Rights and Protection of Civilians
Chair: Matthew Hoye, Leiden University

• Christian Jorgensen, Samantha Shyam, and Vinita Banthia, American Red Cross‐National Headquarters, Washington DC
  • The Post-Bellum Big Stick: How recognition of the Taliban may provide greater protections to civilians and impel greater adherence to international laws and norms
• Tom Buitelaar, Leiden University
  • War Crimes in Afghanistan: Between impunity and co-optation
• Lema Salah, Radboud University, Nijmegen
  • Constructing “Gender” in Gender Discourses: How the Women, Peace and Security agenda was implemented in Afghanistan during 20 years of international engagement
• Kaleigh Heard, Kristin Thue, and Theodora Ogden, RAND Europe, Cambridge
  • Safe Haven or Death Sentence? Social media as a double-edged sword for women’s rights activists in the Taliban’s Afghanistan
• Matthew Hoye, Leiden University
  • The New Politics of Economic Sanctions

13:30-15:00 CET: External Intervention and Statebuilding
Chair: Corinna Jentzsch, Leiden University

• Geoffrey Swenson, City, University of London
  • Law and Disorder: Promoting the rule of law in Afghanistan after the surge
• Cristina Fontanelli, University of Genoa
  • Organisational Learning in Afghanistan: The case of the female engagement teams
• Moheb Jabarkhail, CIPE/George Mason University, Fairfax VA and Farooq Yousaf, swisspeace, Basel
  • The “Perceptions” and “Realities” of Peace and Justice: Lessons from Afghanistan’s post-9/11 (Western) peacebuilding project
• Karim Elkady, Tufts University, Boston MA
  • What Went Wrong in Afghanistan?

15:30-17:00 CET: Implications for European Security and EU Approaches
Chair: Joachim Koops, Leiden University

• Orzala Nemat, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London
  • Title tbc
• Danny Pronk, Clingendael Netherlands Institute for International Relations, The Hague
  • Saigon Syndrome: An intelligence post-mortem of Afghanistan’s collapse in 2021 
• Alexander Borum, European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP), Mogadishu
  • Things to Come: Lessons for Somalia from the fall of Afghanistan

16:30-17:15 CET: Keynote Afghanistan: Human Rights, democracy, stability and the future of European international cooperation in Euro-Asia

• Preamble: Rosa Stienstra, “Hart Voor Afghanistan”
• Nader Nadery, former member of the Peace Negotiation Team for the Afghanistan Peace Process in Doha and former chairman of the independent Civil Service Commission of Afghanistan

Organising committee

For further information, please do not hesitate to contact the organising committee:

• Matthew Hoye
• Corinna Jentzsch
• Joachim Koops

All who are interested are welcome. Register here and you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meetings:  

https://universiteitleiden.zoom.us/meeting/register/u5Uudu-prDguHd0V4rm7mq26kyRMGGW1OXoA

Overview speakers and panel chairs

• Zahid Shahab Ahmed, Research Fellow, Alfred Deakin Institute, Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
• Vinita Banthia, Esq., Francis K. Lieber IHL Fellow, American Red Cross-National Headquarters, Washington DC, USA
• Alexander Borum, Liaison Officer to EUDEL Somalia, European Union Capacity Building Mission in Somalia (EUCAP), Mogadishu, Somalia
• Tom Buitelaar, Assistant Professor in War, Peace & Justice, Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University, The Netherlands
• Beatrix Campbell, Assistant Professor of International Relations, Leiden University College, and Co-Convener of the Leiden University Center for International Relations, The Netherlands
• Karim Elkady, Visiting Fellow, Center for Strategic Studies, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, Boston MA, USA
• Cristina Fontanelli, PhD Candidate in Security and Strategic Studies, University of Genoa
• Kaleigh Heard, Senior Analyst, RAND Europe, Cambridge, UK
• Matthew Hoye, Associate Professor, Institute of Security and Global Affairs, Leiden University, The Netherlands
• Moheb Jabarkhail, CIPE/George Mason University, Fairfax VA, USA
• Corinna Jentzsch, Assistant Professor, Institute of Political Science, and Co-Convener of the Leiden University Center for International Relations, Leiden University, The Netherlands
• Christian Jorgensen, Esq., Legal Advisor, International Humanitarian Law, American Red Cross-National Headquarters, Washington DC, USA
• Muge Kinacioglu, Professor of International Relations and Lecturer, Leiden University, The Netherlands
• Joachim A. Koops, Chair of Security Studies and Scientific Director (WD) of the Institute of Security and Global Affairs (ISGA), Leiden University, The Netherlands
• Rajeshwari Krishnamurthy, Visiting Fellow, Institute of Peace and Conflict Studies (IPCS), Delhi, India
• Salma Malik, Assistant Professor, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU), Islamabad, Pakistan
• Nader Nadery, former member of the Peace Negotiation Team for the Afghanistan Peace Process in Doha and former chairman of the independent Civil Service Commission of Afghanistan
• Orzala Nemat, Research Associate, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London
• Theodora Ogden, Research Assistant, RAND Europe, Cambridge, UK
• Danny Pronk, Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Netherlands Institute for International Relations, The Hague
• Lema Salah, PhD Candidate in Leadership and Organizational Culture, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
• Samantha Shyam, J.D., Clara Barton IHL Fellow, American Red Cross-National Headquarters, Washington DC, USA
• Rosa Stienstra, Student MA International Relations and Diplomacy, Leiden University, and representative of “Hart Voor Afghanistan”, The Netherlands
• Geoffrey Swenson, Associate Professor of International Politics, City, University of London
• Kristin Thue, Research Assistant, RAND Europe, Cambridge, UK
• Farooq Yousaf, Senior Researcher, swisspeace, Basel, Switzerland