Assessing Implementation of the 2020 US-Taliban Peace Accord

This report provides an overview of the current implementation status of the Doha Agreement negotiated between the Taliban and the United States on February 29, 2020, using the Peace Accords Matrix (PAM)—a methodology for monitoring and assessing implementation of comprehensive peace agreements developed by the University of Notre Dame’s Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies. The Agreement is divided into three parts containing 14 specific provisions/commitments, of which 11 are analyzed here. At the one-year mark, overall implementation of the Doha Agreement stands at 57.58 percent, with the highest rate of compliance in part one of the agreement, which contains U.S. commitments. While there are doubts about the peace process in Afghanistan, this report indicates that progress has been achieved in the U.S.-Taliban dialogue. It also offers comparative insights that might be useful for understanding the current state of the implementation process. The report concludes by identifying four specific recommendations for sustaining the intra-Afghan negotiation process and improving the potential to build a lasting and inclusive peace in Afghanistan.