of the Council German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA), Member of the Board of Trustees Gustav Heinemann Civic Award of the SPD, Member of the Board of Trustees Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation, Substitute Member of the Board of Trustees (since 2017) Herbert and Elsbeth Weichmann Foundation, Member of the Board of Trustees Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, Member of the Board of Trustees German United Services Trade Union (ver.di), Member Editorial boards spw – Zeitschrift für sozialistische Politik und Wirtschaft, Member of the Editorial Board (since 2006) Political positions On Afghanistan and Pakistan Annen is an advocate of continued German commitment in Afghanistan and has visited the country on multiple occasions during both of his terms in the Bundestag. Amid discussions in the Social Democratic Party on whether to terminate Germany's mandate for German elite commando troops within the US-run Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) against Taliban fighters, Annen in 2007 said many SPD members were questioning Germany's continued role in the anti-terror battle in Afghanistan. He stated that "[m]any say [the SPD] is losing its way as a party oriented to finding peaceful solutions to international problems". Along with Green MP Jürgen Trittin, Annen claimed that the American counterinsurgency mission was hindering civilian reconstruction under the umbrella of the second mission, the International Security Assistance Force, because of what they called a heavy-handed approach by the U.S. military on the ground that was alienating the local population. In 2014, he voted in favor of continuing German participation in ISAF. In April 2014, Annen accompanied Norbert Lammert as well as fellow members of the German Parliament Marieluise Beck and Hans-Peter Uhl on a visit to Pakistan, where they met with President Mamnoon Hussain, Chairman of the Senate Nayyar Hussain Bukhari and Interior Minister Nisar Ali Khan. In April 2015, Annen went on another trip to the region with the German-South-Asian Parliamentary Group. In Afghanistan, the group met with delegates of both the upper and lower houses of parliament and it met with President Mamnoon Hussain during its trip to Pakistan. A central point of discussion in both countries was the security in the region. In a speech on 23 April 2015, after his return from the visit, Annen stated that, amidst some negative developments, there were clear positive trends visible in Afghanistan especially regarding rising rates of school enrolment and the