Qatar to hold another UN meeting on Afghanistan next week
2 Min Read
It remains unknown whether the Taliban will be attending, since it still desires to be recognized in the international community as the legal and recognized government of Afghanistan.
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United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres gives an address after a closed-door summit on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, Tuesday, May 2, 2023. (AP)
Qatar is expected to conduct a second round of UN meetings regarding the situation in Afghanistan between February 17 and 18, to be presided over by the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Regional organizations’ special envoys on Afghanistan will also be in attendance at the event, centered on stabilizing the situation in the country with the help of the global community, supplying aid to the Afghanis, and discussing the international approach needed towards the Taliban rule which is now under UN sanctions.
However, it remains unknown whether the Taliban will be attending, though it still desires to be acknowledged among the international community as the legal and recognized government of Afghanistan, and to be removed from sanctions or blacklisting.
It is worth mentioning that the first round of talks in May last year occurred with the US without the attendance of the Taliban or its representatives.
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In May last year, talks were held between Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani and Haibatullah Akhunzada in Kandahar, marking the first publicly known meeting between the head of the Taliban and a foreign leader.
The two parties also discussed women's rights issues in Afghanistan, after the ruling group banned girls from receiving higher education and also working - including for the UN and NGOs - among other stuff.
The Taliban took power in August 2021, deposing the US-backed government as foreign soldiers left the nation.
In September, the organization formed a new administration led by Mohammad Hasan Akhund, who previously served as foreign minister under Taliban control and has been sanctioned by the UN since 2001.
