Intra-Afghan Coalition for National Discourse
Intra-Afghan
Coalition for
National Discourse
A Resolution
Toward a Grand Coalition for a National Discourse on Afghanistan
An assembly of some one hundred and twenty Afghan scholars, notables, and representatives of civil and political organizations from around the world, convened in a Zoom conference on May 28, 2023, to explore opportunities for a national discourse addressing the present political crisis in Afghanistan. They discussed and deliberated ways to help end the current political stagnation and to negotiate with the Taliban to moderate their stance on the critical issues of human rights to pave the ground for the legitimation of a political system that reflects the wishes of the people of Afghanistan and hopefully end Afghanistan’s isolation using the recognition.
Participants of the conference called for the restoration of human rights and civil liberties, including the right to education and employment for Afghan citizens regardless of their linguistic, ethnic, regional, or gender difference. and the abolition of sanctions on women's participation in the civil and social walks of life, and the dissolution of restrictions on women’s social movement.
Attendees of the conference declared their support for efforts to discuss the issue of the legitimacy of the political system in accordance with and adherence to the norms of human rights commensurate with the drafting, ratification, and implementation of a Constitution for Afghanistan. They called for the convening of an emergency Loya Jirga, or ‘Grand National Assembly’ to urge the authorities in Afghanistan to end their one-party monopoly on political power.
Members of this coalition-in-the-making reflected the wishes of the Afghan nation in the eleven parallel committees and asked for the approval of their recommendations in the general assembly of the conference:
1- The current juridical vacuum must be filled with the drafting, ratification, and implementation of a Constitution for Afghanistan. People should work in the context of a broadly defined national identity by the law, to create a strong law-based political order toward the eventual establishment of a stable state.
2- The will of the people must be reflected in the text and spirit of laws and the formation of a government through election, referendum, or an elected Loya Jirga or ‘Grand National Assembly’ so that the resulting political system in the country will attain legitimacy and recognition.
3- The rights and freedoms of all citizens of Afghanistan, including men and women, must be guaranteed through the establishment of the rule of law in the context of an uninterrupted transition in the legal system of the country.
4- According to the 2022 UNDP statistics, Afghanistan is facing a severe economic crisis with 85% of the country’s population living below the poverty line, with the inevitability of a looming catastrophe. To that end, serious short- and long-term measures must be undertaken to avert such a crisis.
5- Gender apartheid in Afghanistan must end immediately and alternatives for girls' education and women's employment must be seriously considered along with restoring women's civil rights. Consultative bodies must be established and educational programs and conferences must be held and specific budget allocations must be established to alleviate the human rights crisis.
6- Foundations should be established to address the problems of Afghan immigrants who should be helped through the various stages of their asylum and settlement process.
7- Possibilities of active participation of the Afghan diaspora in ending the suffering of Afghans should be sought. A process must be established to determine priorities, seek professional assistance, and launch a global campaign for aid to Afghanistan. Legal issues about the Afghan diaspora should be raised with the host countries.
8- Ways to help the youth in the Afghan immigrant community whose education, training, and employment have been interrupted and who are struggling with displacement should be addressed. Possibilities for an intra-Afghan dialogue with the Taliban should be sought, addressing the right to education and employment for Afghan youth in Afghanistan in general, and young women who are confined to their homes due to the Taliban restrictions in particular. The problem of drug addiction should be tackled seriously.
9- To uphold human dignity, the authorities should give serious attention to freedom of expression, and freedom of the press, as well as create an atmosphere conducive to professional operations and interaction with the media.
10- Serious and effective measures should be taken to ward off the interference of the neighboring countries in the internal affairs of Afghanistan that affect the country's national security, political processes, and economic viability.
11- In keeping with the national priorities in the present challenging situation, the next step(s) in this effort should be undertaken by scholars, civil rights leaders, and Afghan civil institutions in organizing the next conference toward a grand goal-specific coalition.
After hearing reports of the various parallel committees, the conference's general assembly approved those recommendations with a majority of seventy percent and adopted this resolution. They reiterated that this conference should be a first step toward the creation of an umbrella coalition to pave the ground for a national discourse. They said this must be done by all parties, regardless of political tendencies and ideological affiliations.
To implement the decisions of the conference, measures should be adopted for the planning of the next conference by a committee comprising individual Afghans and representatives of Afghan organizations.
The general assembly called for opening venues of communication with the concerned parties on civil, legal, and cultural matters, as well as issues related to humanitarian, non-political, and political organizations so that both the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan and the international community should take into consideration any decision that affects the lives of the people of Afghanistan. In this manner, any decision that is made in the name of the people of Afghanistan or on their behalf would have political legitimacy domestically and enjoy international support and recognition globally.
After more than three hours of discussions, debates, and deliberations, the conference ended with a traditional prayer for the well-being of the people of Afghanistan.