International Conference on Afghanistan, Bonn (2011)
Encyclopedia
The International Conference on Afghanistan in Bonn, Germany, will take place on 5 December 2011. The conference will be hosted by Germany
and chaired by Afghanistan
.
At the NATO Summit in Lisbon
in November 2010, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai
had asked Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel
to host a follow-up conference ten years after the 2001 Bonn Conference.
In order to prepare the second Bonn Conference, the Afghan Government is working in collaboration with the International Contact Groupon Afghanistan, which consists of the Special Representatives on Afghanistan of 50 states. The Contact Group is headed by the German Special Representative Michael Steiner
.
At the 66th UN General Assembly President Hamid Karzai's statement delivered by Foreign Minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul
said that the conference would also be an opportunity for Afghanistan to "share our vision for the next ten years – the vision of developing Afghanistan into a stable country, a functioning democracy, and a prospering economy".
Pakistan decided to boycott Bonn Conference due to violation of Pakistan's territorial sovereignty by NATO on November 25, 2011 killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.
At the 2011 Bonn Conference, a single Afghan delegation will be present. However, the make-up of the delegation remains flexible therefore making it possible to include a diverse range of Afghan participants.
In June 2011 there were speculations that the conference could mark formal start of Afghan peace process and that representatives of the Taliban might be invited to attend the conference
However, the Taliban said they will not be represented at the upcoming Bonn Conference as Taliban Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar said in an Eid message that the conference was symbolic and the Taliban would not participate in it.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and chaired by Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
At the NATO Summit in Lisbon
2010 Lisbon summit
The 2010 Lisbon summit was a meeting of the heads of state and heads of government of NATO held in Lisbon, Portugal, on 19 and 20 November 2010....
in November 2010, Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai
Hamid Karzai, GCMG is the 12th and current President of Afghanistan, taking office on 7 December 2004. He became a dominant political figure after the removal of the Taliban regime in late 2001...
had asked Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel
Angela Merkel
Angela Dorothea Merkel is the current Chancellor of Germany . Merkel, elected to the Bundestag from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has been the chairwoman of the Christian Democratic Union since 2000, and chairwoman of the CDU-CSU parliamentary coalition from 2002 to 2005.From 2005 to 2009 she led a...
to host a follow-up conference ten years after the 2001 Bonn Conference.
In order to prepare the second Bonn Conference, the Afghan Government is working in collaboration with the International Contact Groupon Afghanistan, which consists of the Special Representatives on Afghanistan of 50 states. The Contact Group is headed by the German Special Representative Michael Steiner
Michael Steiner
Michael Steiner , a national of Germany, was head of the United Nations Mission in Kosovo . He studied law in Paris and Munich from 1971 to 1977 and qualified as a judge in 1981. Later that year, he entered the German Foreign Office...
.
Focus of the conference
The second Bonn Conference on Afghanistan will focus on three main areas :- Civil aspects of the transition process, the transfer of responsibility for security to the Afghan Government by 2014
- Long-term engagement of the international community and further international commitment to Afghanistan after the handover
- Political process that should lead to a long-term stabilization of the country, i.e. national reconciliation and the integration of former Taliban fighters
At the 66th UN General Assembly President Hamid Karzai's statement delivered by Foreign Minister Dr. Zalmai Rassoul
Zalmai Rassoul
Dr. Zalmai Rassoul is a politician in Afghanistan, serving as the Foreign Minister since January 2010 after receiving the confidence vote of the Afghan National Assembly. He previously served as National Security Advisor of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, which he held since June 2002...
said that the conference would also be an opportunity for Afghanistan to "share our vision for the next ten years – the vision of developing Afghanistan into a stable country, a functioning democracy, and a prospering economy".
Participants
More that 1,000 delegates from 90 states, international organizations and the United Nations are expected to attend the conference.Pakistan decided to boycott Bonn Conference due to violation of Pakistan's territorial sovereignty by NATO on November 25, 2011 killing 24 Pakistani soldiers.
At the 2011 Bonn Conference, a single Afghan delegation will be present. However, the make-up of the delegation remains flexible therefore making it possible to include a diverse range of Afghan participants.
In June 2011 there were speculations that the conference could mark formal start of Afghan peace process and that representatives of the Taliban might be invited to attend the conference
However, the Taliban said they will not be represented at the upcoming Bonn Conference as Taliban Leader Mullah Mohammad Omar said in an Eid message that the conference was symbolic and the Taliban would not participate in it.
See also
- Bonn conference 2001
- Bonn Agreement (Afghanistan)Bonn Agreement (Afghanistan)Officially the Agreement on Provisional Arrangements in Afghanistan Pending the Re-Establishment of Permanent Government Institutions, the Bonn Agreement was the initial series of agreements intended to re-create the State of Afghanistan following the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan in response to the...
- List of international conferences on Afghanistan