Afghanistan APPG
CalComms is the secretariat for the Afghanistan APPG. It is a group in Parliament that provides a forum to discuss all aspects of Afghanistan’s political, development, security and humanitarian situation to improve HMG’s policies towards the country.
The mission of the APPG is to facilitate a cross-disciplinary exchange about Afghanistan and its future within an ethical, citizen-centred framework. It will provide independent analysis to improve understanding of Afghanistan’s endemic issues and propose new mechanisms and solutions to influence decision-makers.
Media coverage
CalComms have been working to raise the profile of the Afghanistan APPG since being appointed secretariat and work with a number of national and international media outlets to share its work.
Please see our most recent work below.
Tuesday 20th April 2021 - (Urgent Question): To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on Afghanistan
https://hansard.parliament.uk/Commons/2021-04-20/debates/D68CC774-5960-47AC-BF53-FCF1D27B99C5/details | YouTube video
Derek Twigg MP: I do believe that the decision by the United States, ourselves and NATO to pull out military personnel at this stage will be wrong. I think it only gives succour to the Taliban. We do not have a stable situation in Afghanistan yet. Can I ask the Minister what support is being given to women during the peace process? He knows the importance of women within Afghan society, and their advancement is so important. What is he doing to give support to women to ensure that they have a strong platform and to ensure that things such as girls’ education are protected?
James Heappey: The hon. Gentleman picks up on one of the great successes of the intervention in Afghanistan: for 20 years schools have been open to girls, and the education of girls remains one of the Government’s key foreign policy aims. Around the world seldom are those aims underpinned by military effort, however, and there are two things from which we should take heart. First, there are now so many women, relatively speaking, within the Afghan institutions—its Parliament, academia and media—that there is an expectation within Afghan civil society that women and girls will have more rights than what they had to endure under the previous Taliban Government. Secondly, the Taliban want legitimacy within the international community if or when they become a part of a future Afghanistan Government. Therefore it is reasonable to expect that they will not want to be the international pariah that they were, so they will be responsive to the diplomatic efforts to promote opportunities for women and girls that we are pursuing bilaterally and through the United Nations and our alliances. I wholly expect that future Afghan Governments would not want to reverse all the great progress that has been made in this important area over the past 20 years.
April 2021 - Afghanistan needs a weaker President:
The following article outlines the concept 'de-centralisation' and how it can be the key to long-term peace.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2021/04/12/afghanistan-president-decentralization-government-us-policy-taliban/
1st June 2021 - Stopping refugees is un-British
The following article looks at UK's New Immigration Plan and why protecting Afghan's who are fleeing the ongoing war and conflict is our responsibility.
https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/stopping-refugees-is-un-british#
Cross Question with Iain Dale - LBC - Shabnam Nasimi
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_EVTbbWFLs
November 2020 – ‘Afghanistan’s Corruption Epidemic’ – The Telegraph
The following article outlines the scale of corruption in Afghanistan and shines a light on how foreign aid contributions from the United Kingdom are really being used. Read article
November 2020 – Submission to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee
The following document was submitted by Shabnam Nasimi to the House of Lords International Relations and Defence Committee which will contribute to the Committee’s inquiry on the UK’s diplomatic, military and aid strategy for Afghanistan, including scrutiny of the new Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the Ministry of Defence. Please click here to download the submission. | Read article
November 2020 – ‘In Conversation with the Afghanistan Ambassador to the United Kingdom’
APPG Secretariat, Shabnam Nasimi brokered the following interview with the outgoing Afghanistan Ambassador to the United Kingdom.
Click the link below to hear their discussion on UK-Afghan relations and the peace process.
YouTube video
Afghanistan Embassy Engagement
Meeting with Afghanistan's Ambassador to the UK, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul - 28th February 2021
CalComms met with His Excellency Ambassador Rassoul at the Afghanistan Embassy to discuss engagement with British parliamentarians to raise awareness of the current challenges in Afghanistan and influence the UK's long-term strategic aims for the country.
Introductory meeting between Ambassador Zalmai Rassoul and Afghanistan APPG officers - 11th March 2021
CalComms arranged a meeting between the officers of the Afghanistan APPG and Ambassador Rassoul to welcome him to the UK and discussed the UK government's support of the ongoing peace process.
Afghanistan APPG Webinar
What's Next for Afghanistan? | Virtual Webinar - 15th March 2021
CalComms were delighted to arrange an APPG webinar focusing on Afghanistan’s relative prioritisation as a UK national security issue and how it has slipped since 2010. The webinar also looked at how the scale of the challenges facing the country, and their potential impact on UK interests, has not diminished.
This was a great opportunity for a high-level discussion on the current situation in Afghanistan, the country’s future prospects, and how Afghanistan fits into the UK's long-term strategic aims for national security and foreign policy. The webinar welcomes Afghanistan's Ambassador to the UK, Dr. Zalmai Rassoul, Afghan Negotiation Team Member - Fatima Gailani, and Stephen Kinnock MP as speakers, with Imran Khan MP as Chair.
Contact daniel@calcomms.co.uk to find out more.
Follow @AfghanistanAPPG for more updates