The Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) is currently implementing a human rights programme on Afghanistan (2024-2026). The overall objective of the programme is “to contribute to strengthened conditions for inclusive governance, peace, and respect for human rights and gender equality in Afghanistan”. In order to reach this objective, one particular result that the programme aims to achieve is increased scholarship and academic discourse on the human rights situation, including in relation to gender equality, in Afghanistan. The programme also collaborates closely with the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett. The UNSR is hosted at RWI as a Visiting Professor and the programme aims to support the UNSR mandate and priorities (for more information see the Afghanistan programme page)
Aligned with these overarching goals, RWI is organised a research conference in Istanbul, Turkey, during 5-6 June 2024 (see Annex 1 for the agenda of the conference). The aim of the conference was to explore new and emerging perspectives on key human rights issues in Afghanistan, as well as to provide a space for Afghan scholars and experts to engage in an interdisciplinary dialogue, network, and exchange of information (see Annex 2 for the Concept Note and Call for Proposals).
The conference counted on 44 participants in a hybrid set-up with both online and in person participation. The majority of the participants represented researchers and experts from wide range of academic institutions and disciplines. The conference also included representatives of international and civil society organisations as presenters and discussants, such as Amnesty International, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, MADRE, among others. This mix of participants allowed for inter- and cross-disciplinary discussions, as well as connections between theoretical and practical approaches to the human rights issues presented. 55% of the participants were women, 45% men.
The conference programme was structured around presentations and panel discussions related to the following thematic focus areas:
- Mental Health
- Environment and Human Rights
- Freedom of Expression and Social Media
- Accountability
- Silenced Voices
- Historical Context and its Relation to Contemporary Human Rights
- Problems
- Human Rights and Poverty
- Human Rights and Education
In this report, a summary of each thematic panel and presentation is provided, highlighting the key issues presented and discussed (more detailed descriptions of individual panel presentations can be found in Annex 3 “Panel Presentations”). The report ends with a brief note on participants’ reflections on participating in the conference and follow-up activities after the conference.