ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Unlike Russia, which labeled the UN-sponsored second meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan in Doha as a “failure,” the European Union offered a positive perspective on the meeting and emphasized the importance of continuing such formats in the future.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, chaired the second meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan on February 18 and 19. The gathering which was convened in the absence of Taliban representatives discussed the country’s situation and the appointment of a special envoy as requested by the UN Security Council last year.
In a series of social media posts, on Wednesday, February 21, Tomas Niklasson, the European Union (EU) Special Envoy for Afghanistan, expressed his observations from the meeting. He noted that he found a strong commitment to Afghanistan and its people, as well as widespread support for a future Afghanistan at peace with itself, the region, and the international community.
“I welcome our agreement to continue meeting in this format as a standing group, Qatar’s offer to host, and look forward with a sense of urgency to our next meeting,” he said.
Expressing his observation from the meeting, Mr. Niklasson said that a vast majority, including Muslim-majority countries and the EU, echoed the demands of Afghans. They, according to him, stressed the rights of women and girls, including access to education and employment, as key priorities from the perspectives of human rights, Islam, and economic and social development.
Meanwhile, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier criticized the UN-chaired Doha meeting on Afghanistan, characterizing it as a “failure.”
In a press briefing on Tuesday, the ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, said “The delegation of the Afghan government refused to participate due to the humiliating conditions associated with the fact that it was allowed only to minor events involving fugitive emissaries of the so-called Afghan civil society.”
Zakharova further said that no decision was made on the previously announced plans by the UN to establish a post for a special envoy and a “small contact group” for Afghanistan. These issues were added on the agenda, Ms. Zakharova claimed, without proper elaboration.
The EU envoy for Afghanistan praised the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, for his strong leadership and commitment to Afghanistan. He commended Guterres’ intention to consult on the appointment of a UN special envoy for Afghanistan, as mandated by the UN Security Council in late December.
“A UNSE should, I believe, notably coordinate among us Special Envoys, be able to communicate with all sides, and lead a process based on a roadmap yet to be agreed,” he emphasized.
