The United Nations-led talks with the Taliban in Doha, Qatar, have drawn criticism for excluding Afghan women. The meeting, attended by representatives from around 25 countries, is the third of its kind but the first to include the Taliban since they seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021. The talks aim to address issues such as achieving sustainable peace, adherence to international law and human rights, and counter-narcotics efforts. However, rights groups have denounced the UN for not including Afghan women in the discussions with the Taliban. The UN has faced censure for this decision and has decided to hold a separate meeting with Afghan civil society in Doha to address the concerns [4aa34f90].
The exclusion of Afghan women from the UN-led talks in Doha has sparked criticism and concern. The Taliban's rule has seen a rollback of progress made in women's rights over the past two decades. Girls have been barred from attending school beyond sixth grade, women have been prohibited from local jobs and NGOs, beauty salons have been closed, and women have been barred from going to gyms and parks without a male guardian. The oppression of women's rights by the Taliban has prevented any country from officially recognizing them as Afghanistan's government. Many countries have made engagement with Afghanistan conditional on the Taliban improving girls' access to education, human rights, and inclusive government. The exclusion of Afghan women from the talks undermines the progress made in women's rights and raises concerns about the UN's commitment to advocating for women's rights [4aa34f90].
The UN-led talks with the Taliban in Doha have faced criticism for not including Afghan women. The UN political chief, who is chairing the meeting, stated that the talks are not about granting recognition to the Taliban but rather about achieving sustainable peace, upholding international law and human rights, and addressing counter-narcotics efforts. However, rights groups have denounced the UN for excluding Afghan women from the discussions with the Taliban. In response to the criticism, the UN has decided to hold a separate meeting with Afghan civil society in Doha. The Taliban's restrictions on women's rights, including barring girls from school and preventing women from working and participating in public life, have drawn international condemnation. The exclusion of Afghan women from the talks raises concerns about the UN's commitment to promoting gender equality and women's rights [4aa34f90].
A United Nations meeting in Doha faced widespread criticism for normalizing relations with the Taliban and potentially hindering accountability for human rights violations. Former Afghan government officials and US security force personnel have not been formally investigated by the International Criminal Court (ICC), raising concerns about double standards in access to justice. Some 70 political figures from the former Afghan government condemned the Doha meeting, but included individuals who should be investigated for serious abuses. The Afghan human rights group has called on states to use universal jurisdiction to bring Afghan leaders suspected of serious crimes to justice. More states should act to break Afghanistan's cycle of impunity for international crimes [814e1666].
The third round of UN-initiated Doha talks to integrate Afghanistan into the world economy has been a dead-end. The Taliban regime has been accused of inaction over women's rights, leading to a distance between the West and the Islamic Emirate. Kabul has remained unyielding on its stance on women's rights, stating that it is an internal Afghan matter to be addressed within the framework of Islamic Sharia. The Taliban has been making contacts and agreements with Russia and China, and Russia has deemed the Taliban their 'allies' in countering terrorism. With the West evicted from Afghanistan, Russia, Turkey, and China have filled the power vacuum. The integration of Central Asian states and Afghanistan is a primary focus for China and Russia. The Central Asia Regional Economic Corridors (CAREC) plan aims to connect all Central Asian states with Afghanistan and Pakistan, as well as Russia, China, and Europe. According to a 2019 report by McKinsey Global Institute, Asia is projected to produce 50% of global GDP by 2040 and drive 40% of the world's consumption. The chivalrous Afghan tribals have refused to integrate with the US, preventing the US and its allies from ruling over Afghanistan and threatening Russia and China. The West would have been able to syphon riches from the heart of Asia to Wall Street. The integration of Afghanistan into the world economy is crucial for the future of the global economy and to prevent an impending economic recession.