After Afghanistan: What Is the Way Forward for German Participation in Peace Missions and State-Building?

In the wake of the international community’s failure in Afghanistan, many questions arise: What lessons should we take to heart from 20 years of German engagement in international peace missions and state-building projects? What does the Afghanistan experience mean for ongoing German deployments on foreign soil, e.g. the current missions in Mali? How can the failure of future international peace missions be avoided, and what is likely to make engagements in these areas more successful?

In order to design a sustainable German foreign policy, the opportunities and risks that are part and parcel of peace and security policy must be re-evaluated in the context of German engagement in international peace missions. Aside from the current debate over the concrete mistakes made in Afghanistan, experts from the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) and from the GIGA, alongside invited guests, will also discuss the future of German engagement in the building of state institutions and security architecture in crisis-stricken countries. Applying what they have learned over many years of research, they assess the future prospects of German engagement in international peace missions and state-building projects.

Speakers: Prof. Dr. Ursula Schröder is Director and Head of the Research Area European Peace and Security Orders at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH).

Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach is Lead Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for Latin American Studies and Honorary Professor at Philipps-Universität Marburg.

Dr. habil. Cornelius Friesendorf is Head of the Centre for OSCE Research (CORE) and a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH).

Dr. Tim Glawion is a Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for African Studies.

Moderation: Jessica Noll is a Researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH).