Michael Semple

Michael Semple is a regional specialist on Afghanistan and Pakistan with 25 years experience in the two countries. He currently holds a fellowship with the Carr Center for Human Rights Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School. As a political officer with the United Nations he contributed to the building up of the post-2001 Afghan political order, and from 2004 to 2007 served as deputy to the European Union special representative for Afghanistan. He is consulted on issues concerning insurgency, reconciliation, and political developments in the two countries. He is widely travelled in both Afghanistan and Pakistan and has interacted with the broad spectrum of political and military actors since the latter days of the jihad. He has recently authored a book on reconciliation, published by the United States Institute of Peace and articles in international publications such as Foreign Affairs. He regularly comments on the region for a range of television and radio channels. His interests include political economy of the conflict, subnational governance, peace processes, ex-combatant integration, reconciliation, and transitional justice. Michael now divides his time between Boston, Dublin, and Islamabad and international engagements.