Two-Day UN Meeting in Doha on Afghanistan Without Taliban Representatives

The second consultative meeting of the United Nations in less than a year began on Sunday in Doha, the capital of Qatar, but no representative from the Taliban attended this meeting. According to the UN Secretary-General's office, in addition to representatives from several countries and international organizations, representatives from Afghan civil society and women were also invited. Representatives from the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland, Russia, Japan, South Korea, China, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Iran, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization are participating in this two-day meeting. According to AFP, discussions are expected to focus on increasing engagement with Afghanistan and adopting a more coordinated approach towards the country and the Taliban government. The Taliban Foreign Ministry announced on Saturday night via X that their delegation would only participate if recognized as the official representative of Afghanistan at this meeting. Last Thursday, several Taliban opposition groups issued a joint statement reminding participants at the Doha meeting that no deals should be made with the Taliban in the absence of the Afghan people. This statement addressed the UN, stating that all political parties and movements in Afghanistan should be given the opportunity to participate in the Doha meeting and other consultative meetings of the organization regarding Afghanistan. They emphasized that since August 2021, the Taliban has put the Afghan people in a 'great humanitarian crisis' and has seized political power through violence and force, ruling over the people 'oppressively and illegitimately.' The first UN consultative meeting on Afghanistan was held last May in Doha, and at the end of that meeting, UN officials invited the Taliban to participate in the second meeting. Opponents of the ruling regime in Afghanistan urged at the Doha meeting: do not make deals with the Taliban in the absence of the people. The United States is considering the possibility of consular presence in Afghanistan without recognizing the Taliban government. Afghan expatriates in the U.S. protested against the massacre of Hazaras and the suppression of women by the Taliban. A Taliban official confirmed the detention of women and girls in Afghanistan under the pretext of 'improper hijab.' The UN stated that the Taliban imprison Afghan women for 'protection' against gender-based violence. Malala Yousafzai stated that women in Afghanistan are under 'gender apartheid.'