CONFERENCE: Afghanistan and the Region

Afghanistan and the Region: Options for Australia

One-day conference organised jointly by the Centre for Muslim States and Societies, The University of Western Australia, and Australian Institute of International Affairs - Western Australia

Date: 5 October 2017

Time: 9am to 5pm

Venue: Conference Room, The University Club of Western Australia, Hackett Drive, Crawley WA

Cost: $100 standard; $50 students (To be paid in cash at the venue. Costs include morning tea, lunch, and afternoon tea)

Registration required via email to [email protected] before 4 October 2017.

The strategic scenario in Afghanistan and Pakistan is rapidly changing with President Trump’s announcement of a revamped US policy vis-à-vis the region. He has decided to increase the US troop presence in Afghanistan with the aim of ‘not nation-building …[but] killing terrorists’. His declared expectation of allies to do the same could include a request to the Australian Government to commit more troops to Afghanistan. The possibility of Australia returning to a combat role in Afghanistan to counter Taliban resurgence raises a number of questions about the future scenarios in the region. These include:

What are the main challenges to ensuring Afghanistan’s stability and how could they best be met through regional responses?

How could Afghanistan and Pakistan work together to meet these challenges?

What are the likely responses of other regional states to the revised US strategy on Afghanistan, particularly China and India?

What policy options does Australia have in the region in terms of increasing combat role and/or finding political solutions to the continuing instability in Afghanistan?

The one-day Conference on Afghanistan and the Region aims to explore answers to these questions. Conference to be held under Chatham House rules in order to facilitate discussion.

Speakers include:

Keynote Speech: HE Mr. Masood Khalid, Ambassador of Pakistan to Peoples’ Republic of China, Beijing.

Ms. Rachel L. Cooke, Consul General, U.S. Consulate General, Perth

Professor Amin Saikal, Director, Center for Arab and Islamic Studies, The Australian National University, Canberra

Emeritus Professor James Trevelyan, School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, University of Western Australia, Perth.

Dr Rajat Ganguly, Academic Chair, Security, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Studies, Murdoch University, Perth.

Dr Leah Farrall, Fmr Counter Terrorism Intelligence Analyst, Canberra.

Dr Shanthie Mariet D’Souza, Murdoch University and Founder & President of Mantraya, Perth.

David Singer, Afghanistan Veteran, and Member of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL).

Professor Samina Yasmeen, Director, Centre for Muslim States and Societies, University of Western Australia, Perth.