Scott Smith

Scott Smith is an independent consultant who has worked in Afghanistan since 1994. He was Director for Political Affairs for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan between 2017 and 2019, after earlier serving 13 years at the United Nations, focusing primarily on Afghanistan and democratization issues. He has served at the U.S. Institute of Peace as a senior technical advisor on Afghanistan and the director of Afghanistan and Central Asia Programs

Smith is author of Afghanistan’s Troubled Transition (Lynne Reinner, 2011) and co-editor of Getting it Right in Afghanistan (USIP, 2013).

Smith holds a bachelor of science in foreign service from Georgetown University. He also holds a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs.