Taliban’s conditions to attend UN meeting ‘unacceptable’, says UNSG Guterres

UN Secretary-General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres Monday said the Taliban have imposed unacceptable conditions on participation in an Afghanistan-related United Nations-sponsored meeting in Doha, the capital of Qatar.

During the two-day summit that concluded on Monday in Doha, international envoys to Afghanistan and member states convened to deliberate on a wide range of challenges confronting the nation. However, the Taliban abstained from attendance due to the unfulfilled demands put forth by the group.

“I received a letter [from the Taliban] containing unacceptable conditions for my presence at this meeting,” Guterres stated at a news conference.

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Furthermore, he added,  “These conditions denied us the right to talk to other representatives of Afghan society and demanded a treatment that would, to a large extent, be similar to recognition”.

Since the fall of Kabul in 2021 when Taliban forces took over the capital and formed an interim government, the Taliban government continues to be non-accepted by any nation, and the United Nations has stated that such recognition is virtually unattainable as long as restrictions on female employment and education persist.

Since regaining power, it has prohibited girls and women from attending high school and university, mandated that they cover up before leaving the house, and restricted their access to parks, gyms, and public baths.

The Taliban rejects criticism as an instance of external interference and maintains that the prohibitions are a domestic matter. It was crucial to revoke the restrictions, said Guterres.