The Future of Afghanistan in South-West Asia: Influences & Challenges

The challenges that Afghanistan faces are multi-faceted and complex. A thorough understanding of the future of the country requires one to appreciate the manner in which the different elements that constitute the country are connected to one another. The military withdrawal of international forces from Afghanistan is likely to have a huge impact on Afghanistan's future and will present the country with major challenges. There are four main areas in which the withdrawal will affect Afghanistan's future: (1) how the country's relations with its region and the larger world are transformed, (2) how governance and peacebuilding are practised in that country, (3) how accountability and human security in that country are enhanced or undermined, (4) how the withdrawal creates new vulnerabilities within that country. By analysing the above-mentioned areas, participants were able to conclude that Afghanistan is facing a period of uncertainty, contestation, and prolonged transition.