UN Clarifies: Meeting with Taliban in Qatar Not a Sign of Recognition

A United Nations-led meeting in Qatar with the Taliban to discuss increased engagement with Afghanistan does not equate to recognising their government, a UN official clarified on Monday. The gathering, held on Sunday and Monday in Doha, marked the first time representatives of the Afghan Taliban administration attended such a UN-sponsored event.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted that the Taliban were not invited to the initial meeting and had set unacceptable conditions for attending the second one in February. These conditions included excluding Afghan civil society members from the talks and treating the Taliban as Afghanistan's legitimate rulers.

Exclusion of Afghan Women

Before the Doha meeting, Afghan women representatives were excluded, allowing the Taliban to send their envoys. Organisers insisted that demands for women's rights would still be addressed. "I would like to emphasise that this meeting and this process of engagement does not mean normalisation or recognition," stated Rosemary A. DiCarlo, a UN official for political and peacebuilding affairs.

DiCarlo expressed hope that constructive exchanges over the past two days have brought them closer to resolving issues devastating Afghan people. "My hope is that the constructive exchanges on the various issues over the last two days have moved us a little closer to resolving some of the problems that are having such a devastating impact on the Afghan people," she added.

Taliban's Participation

Zabihullah Mujahid, chief Taliban government spokesman who led the delegation to Doha, mentioned they had opportunities to meet representatives from various countries on the sidelines of the gathering. He noted that messages from the Taliban "reached all participating" countries at the meeting.

Mujahid also highlighted Afghanistan's need for cooperation with the private sector and in combating drugs. "Most countries expressed their willingness to cooperate in these areas," he said.

International Reactions

The Taliban seized power in August 2021 as US and NATO forces were in their final weeks of withdrawal after two decades of war. No country officially recognises the Taliban, and the UN has stated that recognition remains impossible while bans on female education and employment persist.

However, some participants, including Canada, expressed disappointment over excluding women and civil society representatives. "Canada is extremely disappointed that the UN organisers have excluded non-Taliban Afghan participants, including women's advocates, religious and ethnic minorities, and human rights groups from participating in the meetings' main sessions," David Sproule, Canada's special representative for Afghanistan, said in a statement.

Voices of Civil Society

DiCarlo acknowledged that while women and civil society were not directly involved in discussions with de facto Taliban authorities over the past two days, their voices were still heard. "We made their voices heard ... civil society has a rightful role to play in shaping Afghanistan's future," she stated.

The meeting aimed to address various issues affecting Afghanistan but did not imply any form of recognition or normalisation of relations with the Taliban government. The exclusion of women and civil society representatives remains a significant point of contention among international participants.