# Anthony Hyman Memorial Lecture 2026 – The UN in Afghanistan: from state building to survival, rethinking the UN's role

Anthony Hyman Memorial Lecture 2026 – The UN in Afghanistan: from state building to survival, rethinking the UN's role at SOAS University of London, Wednesday 28 October 2026, 18:00.

- Venue: SOAS University of London
- With: Mark Bowden
- Get tickets: https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/korean-artist-lee-qoede-after-divide-mexico-socialism-and-another-modernism
- Go to page: https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/anthony-hyman-memorial-lecture-2026-un-afghanistan-state-building-survival-rethinking

![Anthony Hyman Memorial Lecture 2026 – The UN in Afghanistan: from state building to survival, rethinking the UN's role](https://noky.io/images/a9bfed14f6d2b81df66edacbab93c3a9860bad5fc76149a7a396409cbeb0dc24-2000.webp)

The Anthony Hyman Memorial Lecture 2026 is a talk at SOAS University of London on the United Nations' role in Afghanistan. Mark Bowden, a former UN Assistant Secretary-General with over two decades of engagement in and on Afghanistan, examines how the UN's role has been shaped and constrained by the Bonn Conference settlement. He traces its evolution from political architect to system manager, through elections and reconstruction efforts, to today's humanitarian-centred debates after the Taliban's 2021 takeover. The event is organised by the SOAS Centres and Institutes Office.

## Dates

- Wednesday 28 October 18:00 — SOAS University of London

Written by a model, sources: [soas.ac.uk](https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/event/anthony-hyman-memorial-lecture-2026-un-afghanistan-state-building-survival-rethinking)

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