Afghanistan UN Envoy Rejects Taliban Claim to UN Seat

DID Press: Afghanistan’s representative to the United Nations has stated that the Taliban are not entitled to assume the country’s seat at the UN, arguing that they lack legitimacy and have failed to uphold citizens’ rights.

Naseer Ahmad Faiq, the acting head of Afghanistan’s mission to the United Nations, said the UN seat should belong to a government that comes to power through legitimate means, reflects the will of the people, and guarantees equal rights for all citizens without discrimination.

Responding to a request by Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi for Afghanistan’s UN seat, Faiq said UN representation is a right reserved for governments that obtain authority legally and uphold national and international obligations.

He criticized the Taliban’s performance over the past five years, saying the group has failed to respond to public demands or meet clear expectations from the international community.

Faiq pointed to rising poverty, forced marriages, youth suicides linked to unemployment, targeted killings of former security personnel, restrictions on press freedom, and the expansion of religious schools, warning that such conditions are unprecedented in Afghanistan’s modern history.

He further questioned the Taliban’s legitimacy, asking on what basis the group is seeking UN recognition while women remain barred from education and employment, and while no inclusive political system exists in the country.