Financial contribution to International Womens Contact The Hague

Investing in perspective

In early 2021, Biden ordered the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. This was followed by NATO partners. The Taliban began to advance and conquered more and more provinces. On August 15, 2021, the Afghan capital Kabul fell.

A lot of (financial) support has now been withdrawn. Now the country is economically unstable and the position of many, especially women and children, has deteriorated. Currently, 24 million Afghans are in need of humanitarian aid, almost 65% of the total population lives in poverty and the recent extremely cold winter has hit the list.

Roundtable discussion

In collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hague Corporate Affairs facilitates a roundtable discussion between various stakeholders who want to discuss how the Netherlands can best implement the broader Dutch deployment in Afghanistan.

In the presence of the Dutch ambassador to Afghanistan Emiel de Bont and under the leadership of former ambassador in Paris and Beijing and secretary-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ed Kronenburg, a conversation will be held about what we can still do for Afghanistan at the moment. The purpose of the roundtable is twofold:

1. Gathering knowledge and ideas from the Afghan diaspora about the long-term deployment in Afghanistan and a possible follow-up in sub-sessions (per theme);
2. Discussing the Dutch deployment in Afghanistan along the lines of the letter to the House of Representatives dated 7 July 2022.

Dilemmas outlined in the letter to the House of Representatives that form the basis of the dialogue:

• Exerting diplomatic pressure in a situation in which the Netherlands does not recognise the current regime;
• Providing help and support to those who are outside the regime;
• Support for diversity and human rights, with a particular focus on girls’ and women’s rights.