Taliban’s circumstances to attend UN assembly ‘unacceptable’, Guterres says | United Nations Information

The Taliban has set unacceptable circumstances for attending a United Nations-sponsored assembly about Afghanistan within the Qatari capital, Doha, UN Secretary-Basic Antonio Guterres says.

“I acquired a letter [from the Taliban] with a set of circumstances to be current on this assembly that weren’t acceptable,” Guterres mentioned at a information convention on Monday.

“These circumstances denied us the correct to speak to different representatives of Afghan society and demanded a therapy that may, to a big extent, be just like recognition,” the UN chief added.

The 2-day assembly which ended on Monday in Doha introduced collectively member states and worldwide envoys to Afghanistan to debate an array of points dealing with the nation. However the Taliban didn’t attend as a result of its calls for weren’t met.

The Taliban took over Kabul in August 2021 after United States and NATO forces withdrew following twenty years of conflict.

Nevertheless, no nation recognises it as Afghanistan’s authorities, and the UN has mentioned that recognition is nearly inconceivable whereas bans on feminine schooling and employment stay in place.

The largest level of rivalry between the worldwide group and the Taliban are the bans imposed on girls and women.

Because it retook energy, it has ordered girls to cowl up when leaving residence, stopped women and girls from attending highschool and college, and banned them from parks, gyms and public baths.

The Taliban insists the bans are a home matter and reject criticism as outdoors interference.

Guterres mentioned it was important to revoke the restrictions.

In January, Taliban chief spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, mentioned the UN preoccupation with Afghan girls was unwarranted and dismissed its considerations.

“Afghan girls put on hijab of their very own accord,” he mentioned on X. “They don’t have to be pressured. The Vice and Advantage Ministry hasn’t pressured anybody [to wear hijab] both.”

One other level of rivalry is the appointment of a UN particular envoy within the nation, which the Taliban opposes.

On Monday, Guterres mentioned there wanted to be “clear consultations” with the Taliban to have clarification of the envoy’s position and who it may very well be to “make it enticing” from the Taliban’s standpoint.

He mentioned it was within the Taliban’s pursuits to be a part of the consultations.

Many governments, worldwide organisations and help companies have reduce off or severely scaled again their funding for Afghanistan in response to the Taliban insurance policies, inflicting a severe blow to the nation’s struggling economic system.

“One in all our most important aims is to beat this impasse,” Guterres mentioned, explaining {that a} roadmap wanted to be created through which “the considerations of the worldwide group” and the considerations of the “de facto authorities of Afghanistan” are taken into consideration.

Lotfullah Najafizada, CEO of Amu TV, a global media outlet, informed Al Jazeera the Taliban made a strategic mistake by not attending the talks.

“I feel it is vitally necessary additionally for the Taliban to know the place the world stands. In the intervening time the world has deliberate to go forward with out the Taliban, which isn’t one thing that they anticipated,” he mentioned.

“I feel it is vitally necessary for the worldwide group to construct consensus and take care of the Taliban with one voice.”

The assembly in Doha additionally geared toward a extra coordinated response to sort out points in Afghanistan.

Guterres mentioned there had been dialogue of a “contact group”, with a “restricted variety of states in a position to have a extra coordinated method within the engagement with the de facto authorities”.

He mentioned this might embody everlasting members of the UN Safety Council, neighbouring international locations and related donors however it will be “as much as member states to resolve how one can create it”.

“I consider it will be a approach to have coherence in the best way the worldwide group is partaking with the de facto authorities of Afghanistan,” he mentioned.