VANCOUVER, CANADA – Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, states that the Taliban will not be treated as the recognized government in the upcoming third Doha meeting. During a press briefing on June 18th, he stated, “We are dealing with them [the Taliban] as de facto authorities on the ground, not a recognized government.
This aligns with the position of Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan. At the Human Rights Council meeting, Bennett called for the meaningful participation of Afghan civil society, especially women, and stressed that women’s rights should be a primary focus.
Bennett highlighted that violence against women and girls in Afghanistan by the Taliban is “very severe and widespread,” concluding that such violence might constitute crimes against humanity, including gender-based persecution. He added that Afghanistan women are seeking recognition of gender apartheid.
The UN Deputy Spokesperson referred to gender apartheid as a key concern. “We want to ensure that the rightful role of women in society in Afghanistan is respected, as it should be everywhere,” he noted.
The third meeting of special representatives on Afghanistan is scheduled to be held on July 10-11 in Doha, Qatar, hosted by the UN Secretary-General.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, announced that the group has reviewed the agenda of the third Doha meeting and considers participation in it “beneficial for Afghanistan” and a delegation from the group will be sent to Doha.
Diplomatic sources has told AFP that there will be consultations with Afghanistan civil society groups before and after the Doha meeting, but they will not attend the sessions involving Taliban officials.
The sources has said that the official topics of the Doha meetings are economic issues and combating drug trafficking. The UN has not yet officially announced the agenda and composition of the Doha meeting.
Earlier, Stephane Dujarric, the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson, stated the purpose is to “increase international engagement with Afghanistan in a more coherent, coordinated, and structured manner.”
Protesting women and civil society have called on the UN to prioritize women’s rights and ensure their participation. Some political parties and groups argue that the Taliban do not have the right to represent the Afghan people and any discussions without true representatives would be conceding to them and yield no results.
