On Monday, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will hold discussions with international envoys in an undisclosed location in Doha to explore ways to influence the Taliban rulers in Afghanistan. The UN considers Afghanistan to be in the midst of the largest humanitarian crisis in the world, and the situation has been exacerbated by the Taliban’s ban on girls attending schools and women working for NGOs and UN agencies.
Diplomats report that representatives from approximately 25 nations and international organizations will attend the talks, but the Taliban government will not be present.
On Saturday, a group of women in Kabul protested against any international recognition of the Taliban government, although the Western powers and the UN are determined that this issue will not be discussed. The UN secretary-general will update attendees on the review of the world body’s critical relief operation in Afghanistan, which was ordered in April after the Taliban authorities barred Afghan women from working with UN agencies, according to diplomats.
Richard Gowan, a UN expert for the International Crisis Group, stated that the UN is ‘in a trap over Afghanistan.’ He believes that Guterres needs to find a way to keep aid flowing into the country, but the Taliban’s ban on women is a significant blow to the UN’s ability to operate there. However, he added that the international community wants to maintain the UN’s critical presence in Afghanistan.
The UN has indicated that proposals could be made during the meeting. On Friday, UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric stated that the aim ‘is to reinvigorate international engagement around common objectives for a durable way forward on Afghanistan.’ The UN also wants ‘unity or commonality of message’ on women’s and human rights, drug trafficking, and countering terrorism. Dujarric insisted that recognition is not an issue, and the UN General Assembly will decide whether the Taliban government takes up the UN seat in Afghanistan.
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