ACKU hosted “State-Civil Society Relations – Redefining the Terms of Engagement?” that was organized by Afghanistan Public Policy and Research Organization (APPRO) on September 5th 2018.

The Geneva Ministerial Conference on Afghanistan, hosted by the United Nations and co-chaired by the United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan, is to take place on 28 November, 2018. The conference is organized for the international community and the Government of Afghanistan to demonstrate progress to date and renew commitments toward peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.

Consistent with its mandate, Afghanistan Public Policy Research Organization (APPRO) intended to contribute to the evidence base of the discussions at the Geneva Conference based on a pre-conference consultation in an open forum on September 5, 2018 with participation from a wide range of stakeholders.

This open forum will serve as an enabling space for closer interface between state authorities and civil society on peace and prosperity based on evidence, trust and complementary. The outcome of this event will be a series of policy briefs, briefing papers, and position papers for wide dissemination prior to, during, and after the Geneva Conference. The briefs will be grouped under the four themes of peace, elections, gender equality, and anti-corruption.

There will be a follow up roundtable event in early November 2018 to discuss the specific agenda points of the Geneva Conference and opportunities for constructive dialogue between state and civil society toward meeting Afghanistan’s development objectives.