Taliban boycotts UN-sponsored meeting — RT World News
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that the Islamist group that rules Afghanistan made “unacceptable” demands.
The Taliban movement refused to attend a UN-sponsored conference in Qatar, and insisted on the need to recognize its delegation as the sole representative of Afghanistan.
According to the Associated Press, the Taliban wanted to exclude Al-Afghani “Members of civil society” Who were invited to participate in the two-day meeting in Doha that concluded on Monday.
Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid had asked the United Nations to hold a meeting that would include Acting Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaki.
He added: “We asked to discuss important issues at the meeting, but the absence of agreement between the United Nations and the Islamic Emirate means that the meeting will be a waste of time.” Mujahid told Tolo News.
No country officially recognizes the Taliban government, which took power in Kabul in 2021 during the final phase of the US troop withdrawal. The United Nations also does not recognize the group's authority over Afghanistan.
During a press conference held on Monday, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres rejected the Taliban’s demands, describing them as… “unacceptable.”
“These circumstances deprived us of our right to speak with other representatives of Afghan society and demanded treatment that closely resembled recognition.” Guterres said. He called on the Taliban to lift restrictions on women's access to education and work, as one step towards possible recognition.
The Taliban insists that the status of women is a purely internal matter. In a statement issued before the meeting, the Afghan Foreign Ministry stated that the country “No one can be coerced” He called “Realistic and practical approach” without “Unilateral measures, accusations and pressures.”
The Taliban first came to power in Afghanistan in the 1990s and were ousted in 2001 during an invasion by US-led forces. The Taliban insurgency lasted for 20 years, culminating in a lightning march on Kabul in August 2021, during which internationally recognized President Ashraf Ghani was forced to flee the country.
After taking power again, the Taliban promised not to allow any discrimination against women. But the group soon adopted a set of regulations restricting women's participation in public life. This move sparked criticism from the United Nations and international human rights organizations.
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