RASC News Agency: On Friday, June 21, following her speech at the UN Security Council on Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, emphasized the importance of the upcoming third Doha meeting with the Taliban. Otunbayeva clarified that this meeting does not equate to legitimizing or normalizing relations with the Taliban but is intended to address critical issues facing Afghanistan.
She noted that the meeting might provide an opportunity for Afghanistani women to participate in future sessions. “For the first time, special representatives from various countries will meet the Taliban face-to-face and convey that the current situation is untenable. We need to have women at the table and ensure their access to work,” Otunbayeva stated. Despite relative stability, Otunbayeva highlighted increasing signs of public discontent in Afghanistan and noted that the international community is in crisis management mode concerning the country.
She indicated that the Doha meeting will discuss support for the private sector, banking, and alternative livelihoods for Afghanistani farmers adversely affected by the Taliban’s poppy cultivation ban. Otunbayeva added that while the Taliban have sought international cooperation in the security, agriculture, and health sectors, a prerequisite for global assistance is a change in the Taliban’s stance on women’s and girls’ education.
The third Doha meeting on Afghanistan, with the participation of special representatives from several countries, is set to commence on June 30. For the first time, the Taliban have agreed to attend. Notably, no female representatives have been invited to this meeting.
