Bayan News – Amid the continuation of the Taliban’s anti-human rights policies towards women and girls, a senior United Nations official has warned of the risk of the Doha process coming to a halt.
Rosemary DiCarlo, the UN Under-Secretary-General, stated last night (September 23) in a special meeting held at the UN headquarters on the situation of Afghan women and girls that the risk of the Doha process stalling has increased since the Taliban’s enactment of the Law on Promotion of Virtue.
She said, “At this stage, those involved in our process (the Doha process) want to continue, but they genuinely expect the Taliban to participate in good faith. They must start adhering to their international commitments.”
The UN Under-Secretary-General emphasized that the Doha process was created based on a principled and step-by-step engagement with the Taliban, with the expectation that the Taliban would form a more inclusive government, respect the rights of women and girls, and enhance effective efforts in combating terrorism and drug trafficking.
Ms. DiCarlo noted that in exchange for these efforts, the international community would gradually ease restrictions on the Taliban.
At the conclusion of the meeting, she told reporters that the Taliban still have much to do to unlock international aid and cooperation.
She stressed that the goal is to determine whether the Taliban will truly fulfill all of their commitments.
Rosemary DiCarlo chaired the third meeting of special representatives of various countries in Doha, Qatar’s capital, which was attended by a Taliban delegation. There were no women or representatives of Afghan civil society at the meeting, and the UN Under-Secretary-General met with them separately.
On the other hand, officials from the Taliban’s interim government have consistently referred to women’s and human rights issues as internal matters of Afghanistan and have called on the international community not to interfere in these areas.
Guterres: Taliban’s “Promotion of Virtue” law has officially excluded women from society
