UN holds Afghanistan crisis talks without Taliban
The Taliban authorities will be absent from UN-led talks on Afghanistan that open on Monday in Qatar, as a government spokesman rejects linking international engagement with women's rights in the crisis-stricken country. Envoys from the United States, China and Russia – as well as major European aid donors and key neighbours such as Pakistan – are among representatives from about 25 countries and groups called for two days of talks by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, however, have not been invited to the meeting which would focus on how to deal with them and press them to ease a ban on women working and girls going to school. The Taliban government's deputy spokesman, Bilal Karimi, said on Monday it "wants positive engagement with the world". But "internal issues" – such as curbs on women's rights – should not factor into decisions about diplomatic engagement and formal recognition, he said in Kabul. "These should not be used as political tools," he said. "Countries should have the moral courage to independently come forward for positive engagement." On Saturday, a small group of Afghan women staged a weekend protest march in Kabul to oppose any moves to recognise the Taliban government. In an open letter to the Doha meeting released on Sunday, a coalition of Afghan women's groups said they were "outraged" that any country would consider formal ties with the government that the UN calls the "de facto authorities." The United Nations and Washington have insisted that recognition is not on the agenda. Rights groups' fears have been fuelled by remarks made last month by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed, who said the Doha meeting could find "baby steps" that lead to a "principled recognition" of the Taliban government. The UN said the comments were misinterpreted. No country has established formal ties with the Afghan administration and UN membership can only be decided by the UN General Assembly. Ahead of his arrival in Doha, Guterres' office said the meeting "is intended to achieve a common understanding within the international community on how to engage with the Taliban" on women's and girls' rights, inclusive governance, countering terrorism and drug trafficking. (AFP)