UN-Hosted Talks in Qatar: Taliban Attends Amid Controversy Over Women’s Exclusion

A Taliban delegation attended a United Nations-led meeting in Qatar focused on Afghanistan, excluding women from the gathering. The discussion aims at resolving issues like international restrictions, economic strengthening, and drug trafficking. No country officially recognizes the Taliban government due to ongoing bans on female education and employment.

A Taliban delegation attended a United Nations-led meeting in Qatar on Afghanistan on Sunday, despite controversy over the organisers' decision to exclude women from the gathering.

This two-day meeting marks the third UN-sponsored event on the Afghan crisis in Doha. Representing the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid revealed on social media that the delegation met with representatives from Russia, India, and Uzbekistan on the sidelines.

The Taliban were absent from the first two meetings due to what UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres termed as unacceptable conditions set by the group. In August 2021, the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, yet no nation has officially recognized their government, primarily due to bans on female education and employment.

In Kabul, Mujahid emphasized the need for international support and discussed crucial issues like international restrictions on Afghanistan's financial system, challenges in the private sector, and combating drug trafficking.

The UN's top official in Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, defended the exclusion of Afghan women from the Doha meeting, assuring that women's rights would still be a focal point of the discussions.

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