UN Official Meets Muttaqi to Discuss Doha Process and International Expectations

DID Press: Rosemary DiCarlo, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, has met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Taliban, during her visit to Afghanistan, discussing the Doha Process and international expectations regarding human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls.

According to reports, the two sides also discussed climate change, natural disasters, the return of Afghan migrants and the activities of the United Nations in Afghanistan. The meeting also covered opportunities for further engagement within the framework of the Doha Process.

The meeting comes as the rights and freedoms of women and girls remain a central issue in engagement between the United Nations and the Taliban authorities. In September, a senior UN official told the Security Council that restrictions on women and girls, along with human rights concerns, remain among the major issues affecting Afghanistan’s reintegration into the international community.

DiCarlo had previously raised concerns during her January visit to Kabul over restrictions on women’s access to education, employment and public life, while urging the Taliban authorities to engage fully in the Doha Process.