Outrage as Afghan women excluded from UN-led talks with Taliban

KABUL

Afghanistan's Taliban authorities will meet international envoys on June 30 in Qatar for talks presented by the United Nations as a key step in an engagement process, but condemned by rights groups for sidelining Afghan women.

The Taliban government has not been officially recognized by any state and the international community has wrestled with its approach to Afghanistan's new rulers.

When the U.N., some 25 envoys including from the United States and a Taliban delegation meet in Doha on June 30 and July 1, the agenda will include economic issues and counter-narcotics.

But the exclusion of civil society groups including women's rights activists has sparked an outcry.

"Caving into the Taliban's conditions to secure their participation in the talks would risk legitimizing their gender-based institutionalized system of oppression," said head of Amnesty International Agnes Callamard in a statement.

"Sidelining critical discussions on human rights would be unacceptable and set a deeply damaging precedent."

Taliban authorities were excluded from the first talks in May last year. They refused an invitation in February, insisting on being the only Afghan representatives at the official meeting, to the exclusion of civil society groups.

In this round, that condition has been met.

Since returning to power in 2021, Taliban authorities have enforced rules based on a strict interpretation of Islamic law, which they have said ensure all citizens' rights.

In a letter to the U.N. seen by AFP, G7+ countries said they were "disappointed" over the lack of human rights on the agenda.

An open letter from 12 high-ranking women politicians from various countries called the exclusion of women "outrageous" and out of step with the U.N. Charter.