Rebuilding Afghanistan
A Framework for Establishing Security and the Rule of Law

On November 19, 2001, the United States Institute of Peace convened a roundtable discussion on "Rebuilding Afghanistan: Establishing Security and the Rule of Law." Participants in the discussion included experts on Afghan law and legal traditions; practitioners and specialists on such issues as post-conflict administration of justice, civilian policing, institution- and capacity-building, technical legal assistance programs, the role of peacekeeping forces in the administration of justice, and the investigation and prosecution of terrorism; and members of the NGO and policy communities. The event was organized in recognition that the process of political transition, reconstruction, and recovery in Afghanistan will involve enormous challenges for the people of Afghanistan and for the international community.

The conference examined such issues as:

• How does establishment of the rule of law and the administration of justice relate to the overall challenges of security, stability, and reconstruction?
  
• How do such issues as policing, judicial, and penal systems and institutional capacity-building fit into the overall process?
  
• What laws will be applied under any new administration?
  
• Who will enforce the laws?
  
• What numbers of personnel will be needed in various parts of the justice system?
  
• Are they available, in Afghanistan or in the diaspora?
  
• What should be the priorities for assistance in rebuilding the justice system?

The report "Rebuilding Afghanistan: A Framework for Establishing Security and the Rule of Law" is based on the November 19 conference and additional consultations. A version of this report was provided in advance to the negotiators at the UN Talks on Afghanistan held in Bonn, Germany on November 26 -- December 5.

The United States Institute of Peace is an independent, nonpartisan federal institution created by Congress to promote the prevention, management, and resolution of international conflicts.

January 2002