KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Canadian government has strongly criticized the exclusion of non-Taliban Afghans, particularly women, from the third round of the Doha meeting, emphasizing that achieving any goals without the full participation of women is impossible.
In a statement on Sunday, June 30, the Department of Global Affairs of Canada emphasized that the full, equal, and meaningful participation of Afghan women is essential for achieving a peaceful, stable, and inclusive Afghanistan.
“Canada is extremely disappointed that the UN organizers have excluded non-Taliban Afghan participants, including women’s advocates, religious and ethnic minorities, and human rights groups from participating in the meeting’s main sessions,” the department said.
“The full, equal and meaningful participation of Afghan women in the Doha meeting process is not only a core tenet of the Women, Peace and Security agenda, but fundamental to the achievement of a peaceful, stable and inclusive Afghanistan,” it added.
The department also noted that David Sproule, Canada’s special representative for Afghanistan, participated in the meeting to amplify the voices of those who have “courageously” spoken out about Taliban abuses but were excluded from the main session.
The statement further underscored the significance of appointing a UN special envoy for Afghanistan with strong expertise in human rights and gender issues to lead the implementation of the roadmap proposed by the UN special coordinator and endorsed by the UN Security Council last year.
The third round of the UN-sponsored meeting on Afghanistan commenced on Sunday, June 30 in Doha, Qatar. Chaired by UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo, the meeting was attended by special envoys from over 20 countries, several international organizations, and a delegation from the Taliban.
Unlike the previous meeting, the UN did not invite representatives of Afghan women and civil society to attend the main session. Instead, the UN announced that it will arrange a separate meeting with Afghan women after the main session with the Taliban.
The exclusion of Afghan women and civil society, along with the lack of emphasis on women’s rights, has triggered outrage among activists, rights groups, and UN officials.
Three women’s rights activists, invited by the UN to participate in the sidelined meeting, have declined, criticizing the UN for treating women’s rights as a secondary priority.
Previously, the UN special rapporteur on Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, also criticized the exclusion, arguing appeasement shouldn’t come at the cost of women’s rights.
“It is a mistake to measure the success of this meeting by whether the Taliban show up,” Mr. Bennett wrote in a piece for the New York Times.
