The UN Security Council met behind closed doors to discuss Afghanistan, but no decision was made at the end of the meeting. Members talked about extending UNAMA’s mandate, naming a UN Special Envoy, and going over the outcomes of the Doha Meeting during the session. The current president of the Security Council emphasized that developing an inclusive political framework and respecting human rights—with a particular emphasis on women’s rights—are essential to bringing about peace and security in Afghanistan. He urged the Taliban to respect Afghanistan’s international commitments and to eliminate their discriminatory policies, systemic oppression, and gender-based discrimination.
Eleven nations that have ratified the Security Council’s Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) principles simultaneously released a joint statement restating their unwavering dedication to advancing the rights and interests of women and girls in Afghanistan. However, as previously reported by the UN Security Council, the Deputy Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs gave a thorough report on the Doha conference and its discussions with Taliban representatives during a private session.
Yesterday, the United Nations Security Council convened in secret session with a few attendees from the Doha Meeting. The Security Council’s Resolution 2721 (2023) served as the basis for calling this meeting. This resolution asked the UN Secretary-General to designate a special representative for Afghanistan after conferring and discussing with various interested parties, and to report back to the Council in a span of sixty days.
Nonetheless, the United Nations Secretary-General was not present at the private Security Council meeting. Carolyn Rodrigues, the Guyanan ambassador to the organization, presided over the meeting. The Security Council’s pre-session disclosures state that members deliberated over the designation of a United Nations Special Envoy.
In the meantime, peace and stability in Afghanistan will be guaranteed when an inclusive political process is established, the rule of law is respected, and human rights—especially those of women and girls—are fully respected, according to a statement made by Carolyn Rodrigues, the rotating head of the UN Security Council. The Security Council’s rotating head continued, saying that no one has yet been proposed to serve as the UN’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan. Her request was for the Taliban to stop their misogynistic practices in Afghanistan. Rodrigues vehemently denounced the Taliban’s institutionalized and ongoing repression of women and girls on the basis of their gender.
Rodrigues urged the Taliban to uphold Afghanistan’s international obligations in her remarks.
Some of the independent assessment’s proposals, including as the designation of a UN Special Envoy, have drawn criticism from the Taliban. The group contends that there is no need for such a stance. According to the Taliban, Afghanistan has never had a good experience with UN Special Envoys.
China and Russia have expressed concerns about the makeup of the “smaller contact group” and stressed the significance of taking the Taliban’s opinions into account when making this judgment. Due to these concerns, neither member of the Council voted in favor of Resolution 2721.
Some of the independent assessment’s proposals, including as the designation of a UN Special Envoy, have drawn criticism from the Taliban. The group contends that there is no need for such a stance. According to the Taliban, Afghanistan has never had a good experience with UN Special Envoys.
China and Russia have expressed concerns about the makeup of the “smaller contact group” and stressed the significance of taking the Taliban’s opinions into account when making this judgment. Due to these concerns, neither member of the Council voted in favor of Resolution 2721.It has also been indicated that the Security Council will convene again shortly to talk about extending UNAMA’s mandate. Council member negotiations and consultations have already started. It is anticipated that in March of this year, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan would come to an end. Early in March 2024, the Security Council will convene as usual for its quarterly meeting on Afghanistan.
The Taliban sent him a letter outlining unacceptable requirements for their participation, according to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who presided over the second meeting of country special representatives on Afghanistan on February 18 and 19 in Doha, Qatar. The Secretary-General stated that the Taliban had demanded conditions that would obliquely acknowledge their legitimacy, such as prohibiting representatives of civil society from participating.The second meeting in Doha was scheduled to “discuss how to increase international participation in a coherent, coordinated, and structured manner, including through consideration of independent assessments on Afghanistan,” as stated by UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric.