A Taliban delegation attended a United Nations-led meeting in Qatar on Sunday regarding the Afghan crisis, after it was confirmed that women would be excluded from the gathering. This two-day meeting in Doha marks the third UN-sponsored event on Afghanistan held in the Qatari capital. Zabihullah Mujahid, the chief spokesman for the Taliban, mentioned on social media that the delegation met with representatives from countries including Russia, India, and Uzbekistan on the sidelines of the meeting.
The Taliban had previously been excluded from earlier meetings, with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noting that their attendance conditions were unacceptable, such as excluding Afghan civil society members and demanding recognition as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Since seizing power in August 2021, no country has officially recognized the Taliban as the government, largely due to ongoing bans on female education and employment. Mujahid emphasized the need for international support in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and economic strengthening, discussing financial restrictions and challenges faced by the private sector, as well as efforts to combat drug trafficking.
Roza Otunbayeva, the United Nations’ top official in Afghanistan, defended the exclusion of Afghan women from the Doha meeting, asserting that women’s rights would still be a topic of discussion.
