LISD convened the colloquium, “A New Roadmap for Afghanistan?” in Vienna, Austria, December 5-7, 2003. Funding for the conference was provided in part by a project grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York.

The event continued discussions began in October 2003 at the meeting “Building Security and State in Afghanistan: A Critical Assessment.” Participants focused on creating a “roadmap” for creating a viable Afghanistan through the constitution, the judiciary, elections, security, addressing narcotics production and trade, regional issues, and Afghan administrative capacity. Discussions also focused on the Post-Bonn Agreement. The meeting convened scholars, policymakers, governmental representatives, and representatives of NGOs active in the region. The event was private, off-the-record, and by invitation only, in order to facilitate open and meaningful discussion.