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Women are increasingly exposed to violence and exclusion from the public sphere as Afghanistan nears the 2014 security transition and conservative forces gain momentum.

Afghanistan’s political parties must exercise restraint as they jostle for power in the final months of President Karzai’s mandate. For its part, the outgoing administration should also resist calls to excessively regulate the parties. A commitment to pluralism, by all players, is key to the legitimacy of Kabul politics – and an important advantage against armed insurgents.

Afghanistan is hurtling toward a devastating political crisis as the government prepares to take full control of security in 2014.

Mark Schneider, Crisis Group Senior Vice President and Special Advisor for Latin America, comments on the NATO Summit, held in Chicago in May 2012, and assesses the readiness of the Afghan National Army for independent operations.