Herat Security Dialogue II

2nd Herat Security Dialogue (HSD-II)
5-6 October 2013-Herat, Afghanistan

The Herat Security Dialogue (HSD) is an annual international conference, held by the Afghan Institute for Strategic Studies (AISS). It is attended by government officials, international organization delegates, legislators, academic experts, distinguished journalists, business delegates, media and civil society representatives from Afghanistan, the region and wider international community.

Its main objective is to address a clear domestic and regional need for a permanent forum where different stakeholders could engage in dialogue aimed at building confidence and identifying practical& broader security cooperation at different levels.

Furthermore, the HSD is committed to promoting and encouraging an inclusive and networked understanding of security by bringing together different but related themes and approaches to security.

The HSD aims to challenge conventional approaches to security and encourage creative and “out of the box thinking” and solutions.

The HSD also encourage normative and cross-cultural dialogue concerning different approaches and perspectives on security.

Particularly, the HSD intends to address Afghanistan’s security and stability in the wider regional and global contexts.

The HSD is held in October each year in the historic city of Herat, which exemplifies connectivity, cooperation, creativity throughout its long history, strategic location and its post 2001 renaissance. The venue of the conference is Qala-iIkhtiyar al-Din (Herat Citadel), founded during Achaemenid period (6th-4th century BC).

Its first and inaugural conference was held in 19-21 October 2012, which was attended by 80 participants, representing 30 nations and organizations.

• 2014 Presidential Elections & Transformation Decade
• Regional cooperation: Obstacles & Opportunities in realizing TAPI
• Illicit Drugs: Conventional Approach: Insufficient or outdated?
• Cultural Heritage and Political Integration: Can “Nourouz” become the foundation for broader and deeper Political and Economic Cooperation and Integration?
• The Prospect of Iran-US-Afghanistan Cooperation
• Cosmopolitan Community and Islamic Sufism
• The practicality of regional counter-terrorism cooperation
• The creiteria of a just and enduring peace

• Afghanistan (Government, Parliament, Political Parties, Civil Society , High Peace Council, Private Sector, Media, Academia)
• International Organizations: UN, NATO/ISAF, EU, OIC, SCO, ECO, World Bank, ADB
• Neighboring Nations: Iran, Turkmenistan , Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, China, India, Pakistan
• Extended Neighbors: Russia, Kazakhstan, Kirgizstan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar
• Wider Partners: the USA, Germany, France, UK, Australia, Japan, Norway, Sweden

The AISS has already approached a number of provincial, national and international media organizations for exploring their interest to sponsor and/or for special coverage of the HSD 2 meetings.