ISLAMABAD:
Pakistan will attend a UN-sponsored crucial two-day conference being held in Doha from February 18 to 19 to discuss the roadmap for engagement with the Afghan Taliban government.
Ambassador Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s Special Representative on Afghanistan, will lead the Pakistan delegation at the meeting of the special envoys on Afghanistan to be held in the Qatari capital, an official handout issued here on Friday by the foreign office said.
“The meeting is being convened by the UN Secretary-General to discuss approaches for international engagement with Afghanistan in a more coherent and structured manner,” the statement added.
It further said Pakistan’s participation in the meeting was part of its efforts to actively engage with the international community, including the United Nations, to strengthen the efforts for lasting peace and prosperity in Afghanistan.
The conference, second in less than a year, is being hosted by United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
Special envoys from UN member states and international organisations will attend the conference and representatives from Afghan civil society, women’s groups and Taliban officials have also been invited.
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The conference is a critical, high-level opportunity for donors and the region to chart next steps on how to improve the situation in Afghanistan and engage with the Taliban regime, according to the US Institute of Peace.
The conference will discuss the ongoing humanitarian and human rights crises and the recent report on a way forward by UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan Feridun Sinirlioğlu.
The Afghan Taliban government has also been invited to the conference but its participation is not certain yet. The Taliban government wants to be treated as legitimate representatives of Afghanistan. Kabul also has reservations over the appointment of a UN special envoy on Afghanistan as recommended by a UN resolution passed a few weeks back.
Stephane Dujarric, the secretary-general’s spokesperson, said that the objective of the meeting is to discuss the international engagement approach with the Taliban since they reclaimed power.
“An important aspect of the event is the intention to provide the opportunity for the special envoys to meet collectively with Afghan stakeholders, including representatives of the de facto authorities and Afghan civil society participants, including women,” Dujarric told VOA.
A key agenda item for the conference is the potential appointment of a UN envoy who would coordinate increased international engagement with Taliban leaders in Kabul. The appointment, recommended in an independent UN assessment, is backed by the United States and its European allies.
China and Russia abstained from a December 2023 UN Security Council vote on a resolution authorising the secretary-general to appoint a special envoy for Afghanistan.
However, the de facto Afghan authorities remain opposed to appointing a UN envoy to the country.
The conference comes at a crucial juncture when the international consensus seems to be breaking. China last month accepted the Taliban appointed ambassador in a move seen as tantamount to recognising the Kabul regime.
Beijing, however, has not yet clarified its stance. For Pakistan the conference is important given its troubled relationship with the Taliban government.
The Pakistani side will advocate engagement with the Taliban government but link any recognition with the Kabul administration fulfiling the international commitment, particularly denying terrorists a space to operate from the neighbouring country.
