Afghanistan’s cross-border trade with Pakistan and Iran and the responsibility for conflict-sensitive employment

This study addresses the question of how haulage companies and workers operate in an insecure environment as found in the border areas between Afghanistan and its neighbours Pakistan and Iran, and identifies strategies for conflict-sensitive employment.

Border areas are sites of intensive interaction between states and inter-regional business. Political tensions and armed conflicts have a particularly strong impact on trade flows. In fragile and conflict-affected settings, where states have limited power and where the enforcement of laws, rules and regulations is weak, irregular economies tend to thrive along borders, where state officials often deal with border formalities in arbitrary ways.

This research was conducted as part of a project partnership between the Bonn International Center for Conversion (BICC), The Liaison Office (TLO) and International Alert.