Two days of UN-organized talks on the situation in Afghanistan began in Doha on Sunday, marking the first time the Taliban was present. Human rights activists expressed anger and concern over the decision to exclude women from the meeting and to consider the Taliban as the representatives of the country, despite their lack of recognition by the international community.

Earlier this year, the Taliban refused to attend a UN-organized conference on Afghanistan, their first invitation to a significant international event since taking control in 2021. They demanded to be recognized as the exclusive representative of Afghanistan at the Doha conference. However, the UN Secretary-General rejected these conditions, describing them as “unacceptable” and equivalent to acknowledging the Taliban as the official government of the country.

In addition to their boycott, the Taliban opposed the appointment of a UN special envoy to Afghanistan, which was a key issue discussed at the Doha meeting. One of the primary tasks of the envoy would be to promote intra-Afghan dialogue, a move that the Taliban have continuously resisted, labelling it an imposition from abroad.

The government of Canada expressed extreme disappointment that UN organizers excluded non-Taliban Afghan participants, including women’s advocates, religious and ethnic minorities, and human rights groups, from the main sessions, urging the UN to promptly appoint a Special Envoy for Afghanistan with extensive expertise in human rights and gender issues to lead the implementation of the roadmap outlined in the UN Special Coordinator’s 2023 report and UN Security Council Resolution 2721.

UN Deputy Chief Rosemary DiCarlo, who is leading the Doha meeting on Afghanistan, expressed that she is “very pleased” to have the Taliban participating in the meeting.

Earlier this week, a coalition of human rights NGOs, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, urged the UN in an open letter to take concrete steps to ensure the women and girls of Afghanistan are not overlooked. They called for women’s rights to be a permanent agenda item in all future discussions, guaranteed enjoyment of full human rights for Afghan women and girls, the opportunity for women to fully participate in public life, and the inclusion of women activists focused on civil and human rights in the Doha dialogues.