On 15 August 2021, the Taliban reached the Afghan capital of Kabul and thereby completed a rapid takeover of the country, which they had ruled before from the late 1990s to 2001. The Afghan Government as well as the Afghan Army and Security Forces collapsed; President Ashraf Ghani left the country. The takeover came amidst the withdrawal by NATO allies and other countries related to the 2020 United States-Taliban Accord, which US-President Trump had negotiated with the Taliban. The international evacuation operation ended as the last US military and diplomatic personnel left Afghanistan on 30 August 2021.

20 years of international support to assist Afghan nation-building ended abruptly when the Taliban reinstalled their repressive policies, including massive human rights abuses especially against women and girls, extrajudicial executions and torture. As the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights put it: “Afghanistan is a graveyard for human rights.” The security situation is worsening daily, in December 2025 clashes between the Pakistani military and Taliban security forces erupted and UN Sanctions Monitoring Teams warn about the rising terrorism threat emanating from Afghan territory.

In 2026, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that about 21.9 million Afghans – or 45% of the population – require humanitarian assistance. The World Food Programme reported in March 2026 that 17.4 million even face severe food insecurity. The economy is on the brink of collapse and essential services like the health sector are under considerable stress. Worsening the already dire situation, two major earthquakes struck Afghanistan in August and November 2025.

This seminar invites you to take a closer look at the situation in Afghanistan – which mainly disappeared in the News, but is the daily struggle for Afghans in Afghanistan and the diaspora. We will explore how the United Nations remains involved in Afghanistan. The seminar will consist of an introductory meeting on 15 April 2026 (12.00 – 14.00 h) where presentations will be assigned. The actual seminar takes place on Thursday, 28 May, Friday, 29 May, and Monday, 1 June, 10.00 – 18.00 h. Participants are expected to provide a Briefing (teams of 1-2 persons) on a selected topic relating to Afghanistan. In addition, guest speakers will be invited. Please note that the seminar language will be English. It is possible to receive 5 ECTS-credits (Fremdsprachenfachkompetenz, “ABV”, Faculty of Law).

Applications are to be sent via email until 8 April 2026 to Peggy Wittke (peggy.wittke@fu-berlin.de)

 Your application should include:

• Personal Details (Name, Phone, Email, Field of Study, Semester, Student ID Number)
• Short letter of motivation (3-4 sentences only)
• 2 Briefing preferences (Topic No.)

Briefings

 

28 May 2026 Thursday	The Situation in Afghanistan – Part One History of Afghanistan 9/11, the Bonn Agreement and NATO’s Involvement in Afghanistan UN Security Council Resolution 1401 (2002): The Establishment of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and Its Mandate Presentations by Participants
29 May 2026 Friday	The Situation in Afghanistan – Part Two The Taliban Takeover in August 2021 and the Response of the International Community The Security Situation in Afghanistan 2026 The Human Rights Situation, in particular the Rights of Women and Girls 2026 Special Focus – The Fight Against Gender-Apartheid: The International Criminal Court and the Arrest Warrants Against Haibatullah Akhundzada, Supreme Leader of the Taliban, and Abdul Hakim Haqqani, Chief Justice of the Taliban; and the CEDAW/ICJ-Initiative Presentations by Participants
1 June 2026 Monday	The Situation in Afghanistan – Part Three The Humanitarian Situation in Afghanistan 2026 Afghan Refugees Worldwide and the Situation of Persons Involuntarily Returned to Afghanistan Case Study: Germany’s Policy Towards Its Former Local Staff and Afghans at Risk of Persecution by the Taliban Presentations by Participants

 

For further information please contact

Dr. Peggy Wittke:
Faculty of Law
Tel.: (030) 838 547 05
Email: peggy.wittke@fu-berlin.de