Conflictual peacebuilding: Afghanistan two years after Bonn

This study assesses developments in Afghanistan since 2002. It focuses on examining developments in relation to the policy framework, looking at the Bonn Agreement 2001, which formulated principles of political development and a precise strategy for the transition period. It finds that there have been both progress and setbacks since Bonn.

The paper takes three standards by which the policies pursued in Afghanistan during the past two years can be judged:

• the text of the Bonn Agreement itself: were the goals outlined in the Agreement met and the strategies followed? Was the timetable adhered to?
• the relevance of the Bonn Agreement to the Afghan situation: was the Bonn Agreement a good script for creating security and rebuilding the Afghan state and economy?
• the implicit political and ethical standards of intervention to change a regime: did the intervention and related assistance strategies improve the political, socio-economic and security situation in Afghanistan?

The paper identifies further policy guidelines, which include:

• refocus and limit the war against the militants so as to reduce the negative impact on the peacebuilding agenda. Distinguish between the ‘national terrorists’ and the ‘international terrorists’, and to the extent possible address the grievances of the former through political means
• emphasize institutional reforms and local capacity building as prerequisites for a large influx of new funds. Focus on the effective use of funds to alleviate current problems rather than on counterfactual scenarios of Afghanistan becoming a ‘narco- mafia state.’ Recognize that the dividing line between ‘reconstruction’ and ‘development’ is becoming very thin, particularly when planning is linked to the Millennium Development Goals
• address issues that have been relatively neglected in the reconstruction process so far, including human rights, anti poverty programs, and regulatory policies that promote greater equality and equity in sharing the benefits of reconstruction. This is especially important to reduce the likelihood that poor and insecure areas will become ‘rogue provinces’
• anchor the peacebuilding process more firmly in the regional context, inter alia by creating an institutional forum for cooperation between Afghanistan and its neighbours
• the Norwegian government should consider consolidating its present aid portfolio and concentrating on an identifiable niche where the Norwegian contribution can make a difference

[Adapted from authors]