The Taliban has not been invited to a United Nations conference of special envoys from several countries on Afghanistan in Qatar, Doha.
The U.N.-led talks on how to handle Afghanistan’s de facto government and pressure them to lift a prohibition on women working and girls attending school began on Monday in Doha.
Representatives from approximately 25 countries and NGOs, including those from the United States, China, and Russia, as well as significant European aid contributors and important neighbours like Pakistan, have been invited to the two days of talks by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Earlier, the United Nations said that the Taliban had not been invited to the meeting.
“The Secretary-General has not extended an invitation to the de facto authorities,” said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric on Friday.
In addition, the United Nations and the U.S. have insisted that recognising the Taliban administration is not on the agenda.
Meanwhile, the Taliban foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday, “Any meeting about Afghanistan without the participation of the Afghan government is ineffective and counterproductive,” Al Jazeera reported.
In addition, Suhail Shaheen, the head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, Qatar, has expressed regret over not being invited to the city’s UN-sponsored closed-door meeting.
Shaheen added that any gathering without the Taliban’s participation would not yield any result, is one-sided and would be challenging to implement.
“We have a right to put forward our point of view at international forums, and whether one agrees or disagrees is another matter,” he said.
According to the U.N., the meeting would focus on critical issues, including human rights, particularly women’s rights, inclusive governance, countering terrorism and drug trafficking.
