ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN – Expectations are building up ahead of the UN meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar. While the Taliban and the region are ambivalent, the Western world seems to invest more in the process that is yet to begin.
The European Union’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said that the upcoming Doha meeting is an important opportunity for meaningful talks about Afghanistan.
Speaking at a press conference in Kabul on Thursday, February 8, Mr. Niklasson explained that the objective of his visit to Afghanistan was to establish “realistic expectations” and facilitate better preparation for “a constructive meeting” in Doha.
Mr. Niklasson was in Kabul for four days as part of a broader push to convince the Taliban to participate in the UN meetings.
The group had previously protested the UN’s decision to appoint a new special envoy for Afghanistan.
In its resolution (2721) on December 29, the UN Security Council requested Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan, following the recommendation made in an earlier assessment submitted by Turkish diplomat Feridun Sinirlioğlu in November.
Mr. Sinirlioğlu was also in Kabul earlier this week to meet with Taliban’s foreign minister and other officials encouraging them to join the meeting in Doha. He told the Taliban that there is “a consensus” around the Taliban’s participation.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, is expected to host a meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan regarding the situation in Afghanistan and the appointment of a special envoy for the country. This second meeting, to be hosted by Mr. Guterres will also gather Afghan civil rights activists, and representatives of Afghan women, in Doha.
During his visit to Afghanistan, Mr. Niklasson engaged in talks with Taliban authorities, including the regime’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi. According to the Taliban foreign ministry, Muttaqi said that they are considering their meaningful participation in the meeting.
The Taliban has earlier said that they will decide about their participation after reviewing all the relevant information, including the structure and list of participants.
The only specific question Mr. Niklasson said he received was about the necessity of a UN special envoy as requested by the UN Security Council. “I understood as being based on negative experiences from a different historic context and a perceived lack of clarity about the precise function and mandate, also in relation to UNAMA’s future mandate,” he added.
Niklasson, however, reminded in his press conference the Taliban of their human rights abuses. “People shared their negative personal experiences, in some cases including intimidation, notably, in an environment characterized by legal uncertainty and where there are very significant challenges for many Afghans, particularly women and specific ethnic and religious communities, to access justice,” he said.
