There are several important events on the horizon this year — conversations we believe are more necessary than ever. And we start in Geneva!
On Thursday, 5 March 2026, United Against Inhumanity will co-host, with the Geneva Graduate Institute, a public roundtable asking a pertinent and urgent question:
Economic Warfare: Do Afghan Lives Matter?
📍 Geneva Graduate Institute, Maison de la Paix
🕕 18:30–20:00 CET
🌍 Hybrid: In-person & online
Afghanistan may no longer dominate headlines — but the impact of sanctions, frozen assets, coerced returns, and economic restrictions is shaping daily life for millions.
Behind policy language lie very real consequences: collapsed livelihoods, shrinking public services, deepening poverty, and mounting vulnerability — particularly for women and girls.
This roundtable brings together leading experts and Afghan voices to examine:
The impact of seized sovereign reserves
The long-term effects of sanctions
The consequences of forced refugee returns
The intersection of economic pressure and Taliban governance
Speakers include:
Graeme Smith, Lead author ICG report “After the Aid Axe: Charting a Path to Self-reliance in Afghanistan”
Grégoire Mallard, Geneva Graduate Institute
Alessandro Monsutti, Geneva Graduate Institute
Norah Niland, United Against Inhumanity
Hassina Syed, Afghan entrepreneur
Moderated by Antonio Donini, United Against Inhumanity
This discussion forms part of UAI’s ongoing campaign to release Afghanistan’s sovereign, external reserves and challenge economic policies that perpetuate harm and suffering.
