Third Doha Meeting Without Women’s Presence and Human Rights Discussion; Fayeq: It’s Disappointing

Nasir Ahmad Fayeq, Afghanistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, called the absence of women and lack of dialogue on human rights at the third Doha meeting disappointing.

Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on Friday, July 22, Mr. Fayeq said that not including these important issues at the Doha meeting normalizes the current realities in Afghanistan and is considered a complete “setback”.

Some political and human rights groups have also called the absence of women at this meeting a “betrayal” of women. Reports indicate that the Taliban group is demanding the absence of women at the third Doha meeting.

However, Roza Otunbayeva, head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, announced that women will participate on the second day of the Doha meeting. The third Doha meeting is scheduled to be held on June 30 with the presence of the Taliban.