UN To Host Doha Conference On Afghanistan On February

The United Nations, spearheaded by Secretary-General António Guterres, is set to organise a conference on Afghanistan in Doha on the 18th and 19th of February.

Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN, has confirmed the participation of special representatives from various countries involved in Afghan affairs.

Announced at a press briefing on Wednesday, the conference aims to synchronise the approaches of different nations towards Afghanistan and to deliberate on independent assessments of the situation in the country.

This upcoming meeting follows the first UN-led conference in Doha last May, which saw attendance from representatives of the USA, EU, Russia, and Afghanistan's neighbouring countries. Notably absent from the previous summit were representatives from the Taliban and opposition political forces.

Following the earlier conference, Guterres announced efforts to cultivate a consistent stance on Afghanistan among all participants. However, discrepancies among representatives from different countries were reported, as highlighted by Zamir Kabulov, Russia's Presidential Representative for Afghanistan.

In preparation for this meeting, international human rights organisations have urged the UN to include Afghan women in their discussions on Afghanistan.

Complementing these diplomatic efforts, a regional meeting is slated to occur in Kabul prior to the Doha conference. According to Rasoul Mousavi, Director-General for South Asia at Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kabul is set to host a regional meeting next week with representatives from Iran, Pakistan, Russia, and China.