Afghanistan

Ruling by Decree

Afghanistan: Ruling by Decree

POLICY BRIEF
Within Taliban governance, the absence of a constitution or legal structure leaves Emir's decrees as the principal guiding force. However, these decrees often linger in the realm of aspiration, lacking the concrete mechanisms necessary for effective implementation. This policy brief looks at Taliban governance and the challenges posed by the reliance on moral guidance in navigating administrative and policy realms.
Response to Forced Returnees

Afghanistan: Response to Forced Returnees

POLICY BRIEF
In 2023, tensions peaked between Afghanistan and Pakistan over the expulsion of Afghan nationals. Forced returns led to an influx of families crossing borders, straining resources. This brief examines the institutional response, challenges, and recommendations for international support.
Through the lens

Through a different lens

E-Paper
Activists and amateur women filmmakers have played a pivotal role in capturing the realities of life under the Taliban rule. They have utilised social media platforms such as YouTube and Twitter to obtain an unfiltered perspective of Afghanistan. This E-Paper explores the insights that can be gained from these films in our efforts to understand the current crisis that women in Afghanistan face.
Legacies of Conflict

Legacies of conflict

E-Paper
Seventeen months after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan on 15 August 2021, little has been done to address local level grievances and disputes that have fuelled decades of conflict. This report, based on field research conducted from October 2021 to March 2022 in Helmand province, strongly argues that these grievances risk erupting into renewed violence and further destabilising the country.

The dynamic of youth activism in Afghanistan: A journey between hope and desperation

E-paper
This e-paper is written based on interviews conducted with young activists, journalists, human rights defenders and academics from Afghanistan (all under the age of 35), who have been actively involved in the process of democratisation and committed to liberal values over the past 20 years in Afghanistan; it highlights the twenty years of achievements by Afghan youth and explores their hurdles and challenges under the rule of the Taliban’s de facto regime.