NOREF - Noref report 16 - The Afghanistan Crisis:

Home > Regions > Asia > Afghanistan > Noref report 16 - The Afghanistan Crisis:

Authors

Robert Matthews

is a consultant on Afghanistan, Pakistan and US foreign policy with the Norwegian Peacebuilding Centre (Noref) in Oslo. He holds a PhD in Latin American history from New York University. A former professor of history and politics at New York University, Matthews has been a researcher on United St...
More

Fionnuala Ní Éigeartaigh

is a writer working in the field of international relations. She was the conference rapporteur.
More

Related publications

Russia, the U.S. and drugs in Afghanistan: Ross Eventon , 30 November 2011
Russia, Afghanistan and the Great Game: Ross Eventon , 7 October 2011
Post-war on terror? Implications from a regional perspective: Shahrbanou Tadjbakhsh , 3 August 2011
Norway's political test in Faryab, Afghanistan: how to lead?: Ståle Ulriksen , 1 July 2010
Drawing the lines: the Norwegian debate on civilian-military relations in Afghanistan: Arne Strand , 28 June 2010
Fixing Afghanistan: what role for China?: Stina Torjesen , 22 June 2010
Afghanistan’s reintegration challenges: land and housing: Ingrid Macdonald , 2 May 2010

Download full text

Noref report 16 - The Afghanistan Crisis:

Regional and International Dimensions

Robert Matthews , Fionnuala Ní Éigeartaigh , 19 October 2009

This conference analysed the regional dimensions of the Afghanistan-Pakistan crisis. Presentations and debate centred on the possibilities and pitfalls of developing a regional approach to the mounting conflicts in these South Asian nations and the pros and cons of forming a regional contact group. Regional dialogue might produce a more creative and flexible approach and should at least be attempted, given the failures of the alternatives in the past eight years.

Obstacles to the contact group include weaknesses inherent in Afghanistan’s neighbouring states which are complex and fragmented societies; they may also compete for resources and display mutual distrust and resentment. It is still not altogether clear at this juncture how honestly the US and Nato are taking the notion of regional diplomacy. The current strategy seems more fixated on staying a military course than pursuing regional diplomacy.