On Thursday, May 6, 2021, the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS) held an online roundtable discussion on “The New UN Mandate; UN Peacekeeping in Afghanis”. The event was accompanied by Dr. Sayed Rasoul Mosavi, Assistant Foreign Ministry of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Ambassador Sir Nicholas Kay, Former NATO Civilian Representative to Afghanistan; Ambassador Dr. Nasir Ahmad Andisha, Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN in Geneva; Ambassador Huseyin Avni Botsali, Former Special Envoy of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Afghanistan; and Dr. Timo Kivimäki, Professor of International Relations at University of Bath, United Kingdom. The event was moderated by Dr. Mariam Safi, Director of the Organization for Policy Research and Development Studies (DROPS).

Dr. Sayed Rasoul Mosavi said United Nations played a very constructive role in mediating and guaranteeing the peacekeeping mission in Tajikistan. And it succeeded because it played an independent role. He added, for peacemaking, we have to define a new role for the UN in Afghanistan; and in that, we can use from the experience of Tajikistan.

Dr. Andisha said the United Nations is an organization that depends on member state countries. If you compare United Nations with Special Representative for Afghanistan Reconciliation, it would be a third-tier level diplomat. But we have no other option but to work with United Nations. He added Afghanistan's neutrality should not be instrumental in the Afghan peace process.

Ambassador Kay said a peacekeeping operation is not right to operate in an environment where there is ongoing terror. The peacekeeping mission has three components: monitoring the peace process, verifying if it is going well, and enforcement of the peace treaty. He added, it comes down to a political will in Afghanistan, and in the region, to keep and enforce any peace treaty.

Dr. Kivimäki said the United Nations does a really good job when there is a peacekeeping mandate. He added The United Nations peacekeeping mission can be effective because it does not distinguish between good guys and bad guys, but it operates based on a mandate and can be implemented on all equally. He said when we think of United Nations peacekeeping in Afghanistan, we should not think of what the U.S and NATO have been doing in Afghanistan in countering terrorism.

Ambassador Botsali said now the environment is more viable for United Nations intervention. The main dilemma is to identify the cause of conflict in Afghanistan. He added there is a need for antagonists to realize that there is no reason for holy Jihad. Ambassador Botsali said five out of six neighbors of Afghanistan are Organisation of Islamic Cooperation members. The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation can have a guarantor role for peace in Afghanistan.

You can watch the full video of this discussion at the link below.

https://www.facebook.com/AISSAfghanistan/videos/550041353039097