Taliban consider attending Doha meeting, reject new UN representative
Taliban officials remain opposed to the possible appointment of a UN envoy, but say they are considering "meaningful participation" in an upcoming international meeting on Afghanistan.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will hold a meeting with various countries' special representatives for Afghanistan on February 18 in Qatar to discuss strategies for engaging with Taliban officials.
One of the important topics on the agenda of this two-day meeting is the potential appointment of a UN envoy who will coordinate international interactions with Taliban leaders in Kabul. The designation, recommended in an independent UN assessment, is supported by the United States and its European allies.
In December 2023, China and Russia abstained on a UN Security Council resolution that would have allowed the Secretary-General to appoint a special representative for Afghanistan.
"With UNAMA [United Nations Assistance Mission for Afghanistan] in place, there is no need to appoint a new envoy," Taliban deputy minister Abdul Kabir told Thomas Nicholson, the European Union's special envoy for Afghanistan. on Wednesday
UNAMA, a political mission headed by the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, was established in 2002 and its mandate is renewed annually by the Security Council.
While the UN has not said whether it has invited the Taliban to the Qatar summit, a statement from Afghanistan's foreign ministry said Kabul was considering meaningful engagement.
The statement quoted Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Motaghi as saying on February 3: "Overall, the Islamic Emirate [of Afghanistan] has a positive view of this meeting."
The Taliban's request to represent Afghanistan in the United Nations has been rejected for the past two years, and no country officially recognizes the Taliban's rule.
incompatibility
Since retaking power in 2021, Taliban leaders have largely ignored international and domestic calls to form an inclusive Afghan government and guarantee women's rights to work and education.
Human rights organizations warn that increased engagement with the Taliban risks legitimizing a leadership accused of maintaining discriminatory practices and committing a range of human rights violations, including what some “Gender apartheid” It is called, it brings with it.
"The Taliban are not in a position to set conditions for the international community. The Taliban need the international community more than the other way around. They must think and act rationally."
If the Taliban refuse to cooperate with the new UN envoy, it could further limit the international community's capacity to respond to the political and humanitarian crises in Afghanistan, Lorenz said.
The Taliban must show that they are worthy of recognition."
However, Taliban officials accuse Western governments of ignoring the realities of Afghanistan and imposing their agendas.
Yaqub Mujahid, the Minister of Defense of Afghanistan, said at a gathering in Kabul on Wednesday: "Anyone who wants to harm Afghanistan's security and economy and impose political and foreign pressure will not get results."
Citing terrorism-related concerns, the United States and the United Nations have imposed various sanctions against Taliban leaders and institutions. The Taliban have denied the allegations, saying the sanctions disproportionately put pressure on the Afghan economy and hinder humanitarian aid and economic development.
