On February 18-19, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres convened the second Afghanistan Conference in Doha, Qatar. This year, representatives from twenty-five nations and international organizations attended the conference along with representatives from Afghan civil society and women’s groups.[i]
In May, 2023, UN held the first Afghanistan Conference (also in Doha) without the Taliban with the objective of developing a common international approach towards Afghanistan.[ii] Unlike last year, the Taliban officials reportedly were invited to the second conference but they apparently refused to attend after their demand of being “the sole official representative of Afghanistan” at the event was turned down.[iii] Speaking at a press conference, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stated that the Taliban had given a set of conditions to be present at the meeting- “These conditions denied us the right to talk to other representatives of Afghan society and demanded a treatment that, to a large extent, would be similar to recognition”, and therefore were “not acceptable”[iv] to the UN.[v]
Objective of the Second Afghanistan Conference
The primary objective for convening the meeting was to discuss the ongoing humanitarian and human rights situation in the country and to deliberate on approaches to increasing international engagement with the Taliban ruled Afghanistan. The Doha conference was also expected to deliberate on the key recommendations forwarded in the report of the U.N. Special Coordinator for Afghanistan; including the appointment of a U.N. Special Envoy for Afghanistan.
Key Takeaways from the U.N. Special Coordinator’s Assessment on Afghanistan
On 16 March 2023, the UN Security Council unanimously called for an independent assessment of international engagement with Afghanistan.[vi] A Special Coordinator was appointed and tasked to report back to the Council with forward-looking recommendations for how the international community can engage with Afghanistan in more coordinated and effective ways. In November 2023, U.N. Special Coordinator for Afghanistan Feridun Sinirlioğlu submitted a report[vii] to the UN Security Council after engaging with Afghan political actors and stakeholders.
The report[viii] concluded that “the status quo of international engagement is not working. It does not serve the humanitarian, economic, political or social needs of the Afghan people.” It also offered proposal for a “road map that will enable more effective negotiation and implementation of the priorities of Afghan and international stakeholders.” This would include “architecture for engagement to guide and bring more coherence to political, humanitarian and development activities.” Reportedly, this process would incrementally expand engagement and assistance in tandem with steps by the Taliban to implement and enforce women’s rights, human rights and key commitments on security and other concerns.[ix] The assessment also recommended that a U.N. Special Envoy be appointed to shepherd international engagement and link various processes and platforms. The Taliban regime has raised objection to the appointment of a UN Envoy because the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which primarily coordinates humanitarian and development efforts, is already present in the country.[x]
Outcome of the Second Afghanistan Conference
The UN Department of Political Affairs and Peacebuilding had stated that the second Afghanistan Conference would “take place in the context of Security Council resolution 2721 (2023), which encourages member states to consider increasing international engagement in the country, with the objective of a ‘clear end that is of an Afghanistan at peace with itself and its neighbors, fully reintegrated into the international community, and meeting international obligations.’”[xi]
After the two-day meeting in Doha concluded, the UN Secretary-General, deemed the conference effective and constructive while acknowledging that challenges still exist in the global community’s interaction with the Taliban. At a press conference[xii], the UN Secretary-General reiterated the global community’s demands from the Taliban, adding that the current deadlock with the Taliban revolves around establishing an all-inclusive government representing all ethnic groups. Regarding the impasse in engaging with the Taliban, Mr. Guterres added: “The Taliban believe that the concerns of the international community are irrelevant to them and seek recognition. The international community believes that no progress has been made regarding their concerns, so there has been no progress in recognizing them officially.”[xiii] Secretary-General emphasized that progress in human rights, especially women’s rights and education, which are considered key demands and fundamental conditions for recognizing the Taliban, has not materialized.[xiv] One these issues, the Taliban had earlier stated that these are “internal matter”[xv] of Afghanistan; speaking at an interview the Taliban Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid stated that female education is “a small issue” and should not prevent the international community from recognizing it as the country's legitimate government.[xvi]
Mr. Guterres mentioned that there was a plan to hold a session with the Taliban representatives after discussions with special representatives of countries and to share the results of the discussions with this group, but the Taliban did not accept the UN’s invitation.
Russia, however viewed the Taliban’s decision to boycott the meeting as “valid” given the fact that “the Taliban were offered to take part only in a marginal part of the meeting.” Reportedly, at Afghan authorities' request, Russian representatives “decided to abstain from the conveners” meeting with the participation of so-called Afghan civil society participants, who were, by the way, chosen in a nontransparent manner, behind Kabul’s back.” a Russian Embassy statement posted on social media said.[xvii]
According to reports, the Chinese Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong expressed the view that foreign nations should not impose themselves on Afghanistan. He said, “The international community, they are coming to help, not to impose, not to put pressures, but show respect to Afghanistan so that all sides can come to have engagement, to have dialogue.”[xviii] China is the only country that has sent an Ambassador to Kabul under the Taliban rule and has received a Taliban Ambassador as well, while insisting it has not recognized the Taliban regime. Reports suggest, some of the participants of the conference also emphasized the need to unfreeze the overseas assets of $7 billion to Afghanistan - the need to lift the unilateral sanction[s] by United States.[xix]
Finally, the Afghanistan conference also discussed the appointment of a U.N. Special Envoy to Afghanistan as per the independent assessment recommendation. Media reports suggest that most members of the Security Council supported the idea; however, China, Russia, and Iran have conditioned the acceptance of a new representative for Afghanistan on the Taliban’s approval.[xx] Mr. Guterres stated that they will continue their consultations on this issue and a decision will be made later. At the press briefing[xxi], he said “It was decided that I would initiate a serious process of consultations to see if there are conditions to create a UN Envoy that might be able not only to have a coordinating role in relation to the engagements that are taking place but that can also work effectively with the de facto authorities of Afghanistan.”[xxii] He emphasized that various organizations and countries are engaging with the Taliban, which requires more coordination, hence the proposal for appointing a Special Envoy to delve into the issues deeply. Secretary General emphasized that in this meeting, an agreement was reached to form a smaller group consisting of representatives from several countries. According to him, this group should include representatives from neighboring countries, donor countries, and the United Nations to engage with the Taliban in a coordinated manner on Afghanistan issues.[xxiii]
Stressing the importance of listening to other Afghan factions, the UN Secretary-General reiterated that the Taliban’s absence did not reduce the significance of the meeting and praised the talks with participating countries as “highly constructive” in building consensus on some of the crucial matters.[xxiv] He was, however, optimistic that UN will be able to devise mechanism to include the Taliban in future meetings.
In this context it is noteworthy, there have been several multilateral consultations discussing the challenges faced by Afghanistan post the Taliban takeover. On February 8, 2023, National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the region, including India, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, met in Moscow for the Fifth Multilateral Security Dialogue on Afghanistan.[xxv] Subsequently, in September, the Fifth meeting of the Moscow Format Consultations on Afghanistan at the level of Special Representatives and senior officials from China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan was held. The meeting was also attended by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan Amir Khan Muttaqi.[xxvi] In addition to ministerial dialogue, regional multilateral groupings, such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s (SCO) Afghanistan Contact Group (ACG), have also attempted to put together a collective regional response to the emerging threats from Afghanistan. Recently, the Taliban administration in Afghanistan hosted its first international meeting titled ‘Afghanistan Regional Cooperation Initiative’ in the Afghan capital which was attended by representatives from neighbouring and regional countries.[xxvii]
It is important to note, neither the UN, the participating countries, nor the Taliban, issued any formal statement following the Conference. Bulk of the information on the closed-door event was thus based on the press conference hosted by the Secretary General following the meeting and media reportage from Doha. The second Doha meeting was followed by another meeting on Afghanistan at the UNSC on Feb 26, 2024. It was expected that the meeting would discuss the outcomes of the Doha meeting and the appointment of a Special Representative for Afghanistan, however, no official statement on the same has been issued by the UN so far.[xxviii]
Conclusion
Nearly three years after seizing power in Afghanistan, no country has recognized Taliban, and many of its senior leaders remain under international sanctions. Recognizing the Taliban are a reality, several countries have tried to engage with the regime. This year’s Afghanistan conference saw yet another attempt to get the international community to come together to discuss the challenges in Afghanistan. At a time, when the attention of the international community is largely diverted to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Gaza war, the recently concluded Afghanistan conference provided a much-needed opportunity to deliberate on the situation in Afghanistan.
While the absence of the most important Afghan stakeholder- the Taliban administration - from the Doha Conference, generated questions about the actual relevance of the event, the conference also managed to establish that there is no international consensus on Afghanistan. The appointment of a UN Special Representative for resolving the crisis in Afghanistan has become a contentious issue between the Taliban and the international community, and thereby, a sort of global polarization on the Afghanistan issue has been revealed. To what extent, these alignments will influence the course of Afghanistan in the coming days, remains to be seen.
*****
*Dr. Anwesha Ghosh, Research Fellow, Indian Council of World Affairs, New Delhi.
The views expressed are personal.
[i] “At Afghanistan Meeting, UN's Guterres Pledges Work to Appoint Envoy” Radio Free Europe. Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-conference-doha-taliban-women-rights/32825570.html
[ii] “UN holds crucial Afghanistan talks without the Taliban.” ICWA, May 9, 2023. Available at: /show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=9380&lid=6085.
[iii] “UN Afghanistan conference gets underway in Qatar.” DW, Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.dw.com/en/un-afghanistan-conference-gets-underway-in-qatar/a-68294291
[iv] Ibid
[v] “Taliban’s conditions to attend UN meeting ‘unacceptable’, Guterres says. Al Jazeera, Feb 19. 2024. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/19/talibans-conditions-to-attend-un-meeting-unacceptable-guterres-says
[vi] “Report of the independent assessment pursuant to Security Council resolution 2679 (2023).” UN Security Council, Nov 9, 2023. Available at: https://unama.unmissions.org/sites/default/files/2023_11_sg_special_assessment_report.pdf
[vii] Ibid.
[viii] Ibid
[ix] “What to Expect from the Doha Conference on Afghanistan”. USIP, Feb 15, 2024. Available at: https://www.usip.org/publications/2024/02/what-expect-doha-conference-afghanistan
[x] “The Azadi Briefing: Why Does The Taliban Oppose Appointment Of A UN Special Envoy To Afghanistan? Radio Free Europe, Feb 16, 2023. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-azadi-briefing-un-envoy/32822559.html
[xi] At Afghanistan Meeting, UN's Guterres Pledges Work to Appoint Envoy. Radio Free Europe, Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/32825570.html
[xii] Secretary-General's Press Encounter - on the Meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, 19 February 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/secretary-generals-press-encounter-meeting-special-envoys-afghanistan-19-february-2024-doha-qatar.
[xiii] “The Conclusion of the Doha Meeting: Positive Outcomes for Afghanistan and Global Alignments.” Hast-e-Subh, Feb 21, 2024. Available at: https://8am.media/eng/the-conclusion-of-the-doha-meeting-positive-outcomes-for-afghanistan-and-global-alignments/
[xiv] UN Needs to Consult with Taliban on Special Envoy Appointment, Guterres Says”. VOA, Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/un-needs-to-consult-with-taliban-on-special-envoy-appointment-guterres-says/7494172.html
[xv] “Taliban spokesman says ban on Afghan women's education "small issue". Kyodo News, Nov 22, 2023. Available at: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/11/325ef4567d07-taliban-spokesman-says-ban-on-afghan-womens-education-small-issue.html#:~:text=Zabihullah%20Mujahid%20told%20Kyodo%20News,one%20table%22%20on%20the%20issue
[xvi] “Taliban spokesman says ban on Afghan women's education "small issue". Kyodo News, Nov 22, 2023. Available at: https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/11/325ef4567d07-taliban-spokesman-says-ban-on-afghan-womens-education-small-issue.html#:~:text=Zabihullah%20Mujahid%20told%20Kyodo%20News,one%20table%22%20on%20the%20issue.
[xvii] “UN Needs to Consult with Taliban on Special Envoy Appointment, Guterres Says”. VOA, Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/un-needs-to-consult-with-taliban-on-special-envoy-appointment-guterres-says/7494172.html
[xviii] Ibid
[xix] “At Afghanistan Meeting, UN's Guterres Pledges Work to Appoint Envoy” Radio Free Europe. Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghanistan-conference-doha-taliban-women-rights/32825570.html
[xx] “UN Security Council to hold meeting on Afghanistan tomorrow.”The Khaama Press, Feb 25, 2024. Available at: https://www.khaama.com/un-security-council-to-hold-meeting-on-afghanistan-tomorrow/
[xxi] Secretary-General's Press Encounter - on the Meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan, 19 February 2024 (Doha, Qatar). Available at: https://reliefweb.int/report/afghanistan/secretary-generals-press-encounter-meeting-special-envoys-afghanistan-19-february-2024-doha-qatar
[xxii] Ibid
[xxiii] “The Conclusion of the Doha Meeting: Positive Outcomes for Afghanistan and Global Alignments.” Hast-e-Subh, Feb 21, 2024. Available at: https://8am.media/eng/the-conclusion-of-the-doha-meeting-positive-outcomes-for-afghanistan-and-global-alignments/
[xxiv] “UN Needs to Consult with Taliban on Special Envoy Appointment, Guterres Says”. VOA, Feb 19, 2024. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/un-needs-to-consult-with-taliban-on-special-envoy-appointment-guterres-says/7494172.html
[xxv] “India pledges to never abandon Afghan people during NSA Doval's visit to Russia.” India Today, Feb 10, 2023. Available at: https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/india-pledges-to-never-abandon-afghan-people-during-nsa-doval-visit-to-russia-2332960-2023-02-10.
[xxvi] Russia hosted 5th Moscow Format Consultation of Afghanistan. ICWA Viewpoint, October 5, 2023. Available at: /show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=10028&lid=6393
[xxvii] “Taliban hosted a meeting titled ‘Afghanistan Regional Cooperation Initiative’ in Kabul.” ICWA Viewpoint, Jan 31, 2024. Availableat: /show_content.php?lang=1&level=3&ls_id=10459&lid=6670
[xxviii] “United Nations Security Council To Hold Meeting On Afghanistan’s Issues”. INDIA.COM, Feb 26, 2024. Available at: https://www.india.com/news/world/united-nations-security-council-to-hold-meeting-on-afghanistans-issues-6747909/