RASC News Agency: Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the United Nations, stated that the Doha meetings are part of an ongoing process and that Afghanistani women and civil society are integral to these discussions. According to a Reuters report, the UN spokesperson said on Sunday, June 23, that human rights, particularly women’s rights, will be a prominent focus in these meetings.
Previously, Human Rights Watch claimed that the United Nations had largely removed women’s rights issues from the Doha meeting’s agenda. However, Mr. Dujarric emphasized, “The aim of the Doha meeting is to encourage the current rulers of Afghanistan (the Taliban) to engage with the international community through a coordinated and structured approach that benefits the Afghanistani people. Human rights and the rights of women and girls will certainly be highlighted by the United Nations in all discussions.”
In six days, a meeting on Afghanistan, hosted by the UN Secretary-General, is scheduled to take place in Doha. Next week, the Taliban will send a delegation to Qatar to engage with special representatives from 25 countries regarding Afghanistan affairs. This will be the first United Nations meeting attended by a Taliban representative since the group’s return to power in Afghanistan.
It is expected that Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Rosa Otunbayeva, the head of UNAMA in Afghanistan, will also meet separately with representatives of Afghanistan civil society after their discussions with the Taliban.
Notably, women have not been invited to this meeting. Women’s movements in Kabul have boycotted the event, describing it as a deal with terrorism. It has also been reported that the meeting’s agenda was previously shared with the Taliban and received their approval.
