The UN Secretary-General H.E. Antonio Guterres will host a meeting in Doha on 1-2 May 2023 with Special Envoys on Afghanistan from various countries.
On 17 April 2023, the UN Deputy Secretary-General H.E. Amina Mohammed, at a Harvard University event said that “out of this meeting we hope we find the baby steps to put us back on the pathway to a principled recognition of the Taliban; in other words there are conditions.”
Later, the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General down played the “recognition” aspect and described the purpose of this closed door meeting “to reinvigorate the international engagement around the common objectives for a durable way forward on the situation in Afghanistan.”
The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) understands the sensitive line drawn between the closure and existence of the UN offices in Afghanistan, following the new Taliban rule barring local women from UN work. It also sees the need for UN-led meetings and consultations with all stakeholders, especially the opposition to the Taliban, for a more unified consensus regarding the challenges ahead.
The NRF is of the firm opinion that compromising the values and principles of the UN Charter, as well as the fundamental rights and liberties enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, to appease the UN-sanctioned Taliban terror outfit will not only damage the United Nations' reputation, but also legitimize and intensify violence and disorder in Afghanistan. This could pose a significant risk to international peace and security in the foreseeable future, and raises serious doubts about the United Nations' impartiality and credibility.
The right to legitimize governance belongs to the 40 million people of Afghanistan. Any external consideration of recognition of governance, even at “baby steps” level, must respect the wishes of our people. The NRF is looking forward to see a proactive and impartial role of the United Nations in the peace, security and development of Afghanistan.
21 April 2023
