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The negotiating parties in a potential Afghanistan peace process have a long way to go to find substantive common ground, but it is possible to envision the compromises that could form a plausible agreement. The basic elements of a peace deal that would likely appeal to the parties would include the following:

• For the pro-government side, keeping intact the main contours of the post-2001 democratic political system, including using the existing constitution as the starting point for negotiated revisions and keeping it in effect until a new constitution is adopted.
• For the Taliban, ending the presence of U.S. and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) forces, creating an opportunity to adopt a fresh constitution, and including structural vehicles for realizing aspects of Islamic governance in a revised state system.
• For the United States, including counterterrorism assurances and mechanisms and setting a pathway toward ending its military involvement in Afghanistan in a manner that has some prospect of leaving stability in its wake.

Throughout years of halting attempts to negotiate an end to the war in Afghanistan, the conflict parties articulated only the barest outlines of envisioned outcomes. By not spelling out their preferred terms for peace, the parties reinforced resistance to a peace process and fed fears of what compromise with the enemy might bring. An effective peace process will require filling this gap. With the aim of sparking the imaginations of policymakers on all sides of the conflict and others interested in encouraging negotiations, this report paints a detailed picture of a plausible political settlement.

To provide concrete ideas, the authors chose to write a peace agreement rather than write about one, translating their research and analysis into the format of a comprehensive peace accord. Their intent is to lay out realistic compromises that could satisfy the parties' interests and stand some chance of actually being implemented for the most important issues. The issues addressed include cessation of hostilities, political and security power-sharing, foreign troop withdrawal, constitutional reform, transitional mechanisms, and monitoring and verification. The authors researched the probable negotiation goals of the conflict parties; studied past peace agreements, both for Afghanistan and for many other countries around the world; and conducted extensive in-person confidential consultations with people associated with all sides of the conflict and with states neighboring Afghanistan, as well as experts on Afghanistan and peace processes. Beyond the report's main purpose, its methodology and supporting comparative analysis will benefit conflict resolution practitioners broadly.

• Chapter One

  Introduction

• Chapter Two

  Core Substantive Issues to Address in a Peace Agreement for Afghanistan

• Chapter Three

  A Comprehensive Peace Agreement

• Chapter Four

  Drawing on Past Experience: Comparative Analysis of Peace Agreements

• Chapter Five

  Conclusion and Recommendations