A year and a half since the Taliban took over Afghanistan on 15 August 2021,the country continues to be in a state of flux. Afghanistan is facing one of the biggest humanitarian and economic crises, wrought by widespread food shortages and unemployment. There are severe restrictions on human rights and women’s fundamental rights. Figuring out how to support the Afghan people without strengthening the Taliban regime has been a concern for the global community over the past few months. In order to find a “durable way forward” for the war-ravaged nation, the UN isplanning to convene an international meeting on Afghanistan in Doha, Qatar, between 1 and 2 May 2023.[i]
Reportedly,[ii] the UN Chief Antonio Guterres will host a closed-door gathering with special envoys from various nations to “clarify expectations” about issues including the Taliban authorities’ restrictions on women.The UN spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, indicated that the Secretary General “continues to believe that it’s an urgent priority to advance an approach based on pragmatism and principles, combined with strategic patience, and to identify parameters for creative, flexible, principled, and constructive engagement”.[iii] The UN, however,is yet to indicate whether Taliban leadership will be represented at the talks.
This announcement came after UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed suggestedthat the international community might begin a conversation about granting legitimacy to the Taliban regime in the near future. Speaking at an event at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs on 17 April 2023, she mentioned the upcoming meeting in Doha and stated,“…we hope that we'll find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition [of the Taliban], a principled recognition”.[iv] Her remarks sparked significant concern and confusionand eventually led the UN to clarify that the May meeting will not focus on the possible international recognition of the Taliban administration.[v]
In the past, there have been reports about countriessuch as Pakistan[vi] and Russia[vii], handing over the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad and Moscow to the Taliban. The most recent addition to the list is Iran, which reportedly handed over control of the Afghan Embassy in Tehran to the Taliban on 26 February 2023 and appointed Fazal Mohammad Haqqani as the group’s ChargeD’Affairs in Tehran – a claim that the Iranian Foreign Ministry has denied.[viii]Afghan Foreign Ministry SpokespersonAbdulKaharBalkhi claimed that so far, several countries have allowed the Taliban to appoint staff to manage Afghan diplomatic missions in their respective territories, including Pakistan, China, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, Turkey, Qatar, Malaysia, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.[ix]
Ever since the Taliban recaptured power in Afghanistan, the regime has been pressing the international community for the removal of sanctions and the recognition of the “Islamic Emirate” of Afghanistan, claiming that if recognised, the concerns and complaints of the world community will be addressed in a better way. Taliban Spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid had said “the Islamic Emirate will be paying more attention to its responsibilities, and the complaints we have from other countries will be addressed in a good way. Because one side will feel itself responsible regarding the law and regulation”.[x]
More recently,in a controversial op-ed[xi], Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, the interim Foreign Minister, wrote in hyperbole about the transformation of Afghanistan under the Taliban. With the country now ruled by an “independent, powerful, united, central, and responsible government” willing to positively engage with the international community, he urged the rest of the world to also ‘turn a new leaf’ and look towards the future. He also stated that the new regime will now focus on extricating Afghanistan from its over-reliance on foreign aid through ‘Afghanising’ the country.
An issue on which the UN has expressed specific concern is the rights of women in Afghanistan. The UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, while visiting Afghanistan in January, discussed with Taliban leaders the sweeping curbs the Taliban authorities have imposed on women's freedom of work and movement since taking control of the strife-torn nation. The restrictions have effectively blocked women and girls' access to work and education beyond the 6th grade across the country. The de facto authorities,however, have maintained that they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of Islamic law. Earlier this month, the Taliban even banned Afghan women employees of the UN[xii] from working throughout Afghanistan, compelling the UN to reconsider whether to continue operations in Afghanistan.[xiii] As of now, the UN has told its 600 Afghan female staff to work from home while it negotiates with the Taliban for the removal of the ban on women.[xiv]A wrap-up of UN operations in Afghanistan would be a major blow to ordinary Afghans; almost 2/3 of the population requires aid in Afghanistan. Without the UN, distributing that aid would be difficult and would give the Taliban direct control over international aid.
It is widely acknowledged that the issues of Afghanistan have taken a backseatafter the Ukraine conflict, but it is important for the regional countries to ensure that Afghanistan does not become a forgotten crisis.The upcoming meeting on Afghanistan in Qatar next month is an important development in that respect. It’s not only expected to provide a platform for key stakeholders in the international community to coordinate responses and devise strategies to deal with the de facto authorities of Afghanistan, but also to shape the future of the presence of international organizations in the country.
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*Dr. Anwesha Ghosh is a Research Fellow at the Indian Council of World Affairs.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal.
Endnotes
[i] “UN chief to host May meeting on Afghanistan in Qatar.” Al Jazeera, 20 April 2023. Available at:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/20/un-chief-to-host-may-meeting-on-afghanistan-in-doha(Accessed on 21.04. 23)
[ii] Ibid
[iii] Ibid
[iv] “Top UN Official Proposes Meeting to Discuss Recognition of Taliban.” Voice of America,18 April 2023. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/top-un-official-proposes-meeting-to-discuss-recognition-of-taliban/7055782.html(Accessed on 21.04. 23)
[v] “Taliban recognition not a focus of Afghanistan meeting, says UN”. Al Jazeera, 20April 2023. Available at:https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/20/taliban-recognition-not-a-focus-of-afghanistan-meeting-says-un(Accessed on 21.04. 23)
[vi] “Taliban Install Diplomats in Pakistan Embassy, Missions”. Voice of America, 28 October 2021. Available at:https://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-install-diplomats-in-pakistan-embassy-missions-/6289591.html(Accessed on 21.04. 23)
[vii]“Russia hands over Afghan Embassy in Moscow to Taliban”Voice of America, 15 April 2022. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/russia-hands-over-afghan-embassy-in-moscow-to-taliban/6530938.html(Accessed on 21.04. 23)
[viii] “Iran to handover Afghan Embassy in Tehran to Taliban”, ANI,24 February 2023.
Available at:
https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/iran-to-handover-afghan-embassy-in-tehran-to-taliban20230224224118/
[ix] “Afghan Embassy in Iran handed over to Taliban!” Business Central Asia, April 2023 issue. Page. 11.
[x] “Iran to handover Afghan Embassy in Tehran to Taliban”, ANI, 24 February 2023.
Available at:https://www.aninews.in/news/world/asia/iran-to-handover-afghan-embassy-in-tehran-to-taliban20230224224118/(Accessed on 21.04. 23).
[xi]Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, “Afghanistan is ready to work with the US, but sanctions must go.” Al Jazeera, 22 March 2023. Available at:https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2023/3/23/afghanistan-is-ready-to-work-with-the-us-but-sanctions-must-go(Accessed on 21.04. 23).
[xii] “UN says its female staffers banned from working in Afghanistan.” Al Jazeera,4 April 2023. Available at: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/4/un-says-its-female-staffers-banned-from-working-in-afghanistan(Accessed on 21.04. 23).
[xiii] “UN says it could leave Afghanistan in May after stricter Taliban rules.” The National, 18 April 2023. Available at:https://www.thenationalnews.com/world/asia/2023/04/18/un-says-it-could-leave-afghanistan-in-may-after-stricter-taliban-rules/#:~:text=The%20UN%20has%20been%20trying,aid%20and%20decades%20of%20war&text=The%20UN%20said%20on%20Tuesday,on%20how%20the%20organisation%20operates.(Accessed on 21.04. 23).
[xiv] “Top UN Official Proposes Meeting to Discuss Recognition of Taliban.” Voice of America,18 April 2023. Available at: https://www.voanews.com/a/top-un-official-proposes-meeting-to-discuss-recognition-of-taliban/7055782.html(Accessed on 21.04. 23).