AFGHANISTAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: WHAT NOW?

The briefing argues that establishing a functioning state in Afghanistan requires a new power-sharing formula that avoids reliance on military strength, a long-term commitment from neighboring states to prioritize Afghan stability over regional rivalries, and a shift in international aid from short-term emergency relief to long-term peacebuilding and capacity-building. It warns that any new government must be developed from within to be legitimate, though it suggests an international presence—potentially involving the UN and the Organization of the Islamic Conference—may be necessary to support the transition.

• The primary influential groups in Afghanistan are military organizations rather than political ones, and none are viewed as legitimate by the population due to histories of "massive human rights violations, systematic crime and corruption". Consequently, power is based on military capability rather than political legitimacy.
• There is a deep-seated conviction among Afghan leaders that stability requires a strong central government or a "strongman", which complicates the development of a decentralized power-sharing formula that could maintain national unity while incorporating civil society.
• Regional stability is hindered by the conflicting interests of Afghanistan's six neighbors. Pakistan has sought "strategic depth" against India by supporting the Taliban, while Iran has supported the Northern Alliance to counter Pakistan and Saudi Arabia. Russia uses spillover effects in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to justify its role in regional security.
• The international aid model for Afghanistan needs to shift from providing only short-term "life-sustaining aid" to a model where peacebuilding and large-scale reconstruction assistance occur in tandem to prepare the ground for peace.
• To ensure legitimacy, a new government must be formed from within Afghanistan, but its survival will likely require an international presence. The authors suggest this presence could involve the UN and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, using observers from non-aligned Islamic countries.

APA

Harpviken, K. B., & Strand, A. (2001). AFGHANISTAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: WHAT NOW? Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://www.prio.org/publications/2454

Chicago

Harpviken, Kristian Berg, and Arne Strand. AFGHANISTAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: WHAT NOW? Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2001. https://www.prio.org/publications/2454.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Harpviken |first1=Kristian Berg |last2=Strand |first2=Arne |title=AFGHANISTAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: WHAT NOW? |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=1 November 2001 |url=https://www.prio.org/publications/2454 |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{harpviken2001afghanistan, author = {Harpviken, Kristian Berg and Strand, Arne}, title = {{AFGHANISTAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY: WHAT NOW?}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2001}, month = nov, url = {https://www.prio.org/publications/2454}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }