Role of Parliament towards Peace, and Reintegration in Afghanistan

Peace committees are largely a hybrid structure, borrowing heavily from traditional conflict resolution mechanisms and the modern formal dispute arbitration processes.Although there is no unanimous definition of the concept of peace committee as it relates to local level peace building activities, it can be defined and or described as a conflict intervention structure that integrates both traditional and modern conflict intervention mechanisms to prevent, manage or transform intra-ethnic or inter- ethnic conflicts. Its evolution and genesis could be traced to local level peace building initiatives centuries back. As incipient and elusive as it is, this short report sought to understand, critically analyse and offer some suggestions for the establishment of the national level permanent peace commission in the Parliament as a Standing Committee and towards strengthening provincial and district peace and development committees in Afghanistan so as to enable them function effectively and efficiently.