DOHA (TOLONews): The United Nations will host the third Doha meeting on Afghanistan tomorrow (Sunday, July 1) with representatives from over 30 countries and international organizations in attendance.
In a press briefing, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated that the delegation from Afghanistan’s interim government will engage in talks with special representatives from various countries and institutions on Sunday and Monday this week.
Dujarric said that special representatives of the countries and the Deputy Secretary-General will meet with representatives of Afghan women and civil society on Tuesday.
Dujarric told reporters: “Then on Tuesday in Doha, Ms. DiCarlo and the Special Envoys are set to meet with representatives of Afghan civil society, including human rights and women’s organizations and advocates. The Under-Secretary-General will raise the rights of women and girls, human rights in general and political inclusion in the discussions in Doha that she will be having with the de facto authorities.”
On the eve of the third Doha meeting, the Russian Foreign Ministry welcomed the participation of the Islamic Emirate delegation in this meeting, stating in a declaration that it is open to constructive dialogues aimed at making progress in resolving Afghanistan’s issues, considering the legitimate rights and interests of the Afghan people.
Kamran Aman, a political analyst, told TOLOnews, “I think if discussions are held about our banks and yield results, it will be a good thing. As far as I can see, it may be fruitless.”
On the other hand, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has stated that it urges the organizers of this meeting to include discussions about the rights of Afghan women and girls on the agenda.
The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women wrote, “The UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women is deeply concerned about the exclusion of women and girls from the upcoming third UN-convened meeting on Afghanistan, scheduled to commence on 30 June in Doha, Qatar. The Committee calls for active and direct inclusion of women and girls in these discussions which pertain to the most serious crisis in women’s rights globally.”
Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Council’s special rapporteur for Afghanistan criticized the absence of women at the third Doha meeting in an article in The New York Times.
Moreover, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said before departing for Doha at the Government Information and Media Center in Kabul that he will have extensive discussions with the participants in this meeting. Mujahid did not clearly mention meeting Afghan women on the sidelines of the third Doha meeting.
The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate stated, “We will undoubtedly meet, discuss, and be present in all the sessions determined with those who are participating there.”
According to the statement from the Russian Foreign Ministry, representatives from Russia, China, Iran, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, and several other countries will attend the third Doha meeting.
Additionally, representatives from the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the European Union will also participate in the third Doha meeting.
