UN Security Council To Hold Meeting On Afghanistan, Sources Tell Afghanistan International

Sources informed Afghanistan International that the United Nations Security Council will hold a meeting on Afghanistan on February 26.

The UN hopes that the countries participating at the Doha meeting will agree on the special representative until the Security Council meeting.

During this meeting, Antonio Guterres, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, is expected to brief the members of the Security Council on the outcomes of the Doha meeting. Additionally, he will introduce the special envoy appointed for the matter.

The official date for this meeting had not been formally disclosed by the Security Council. Aref Yaqubi, a correspondent for Afghanistan International quoting sources from the Doha Meeting, said that the meeting is likely to take place on February 26.

The appointment of a special representative has become a contentious issue at the Doha meeting. China, Russia, and Iran express disagreement with the proposal to appoint a new representative for Afghanistan. Similarly, the Taliban has voiced opposition to the appointment of a special representative.

The United Nations had previously appointed Feridun Sinirlioğlu as a special coordinator to review the situation in Afghanistan and to present proposals to the Security Council.

Afghanistan International’s reporter said that the UN if deemed necessary, can appoint a representative for Afghanistan without the agreement of the members of the Security Council.

Due to conflicting perspectives among the permanent members, the Security Council has many differences of opinion regarding the approach towards Afghanistan and the Taliban.

China and Russia have generally supported interaction with the Taliban and not isolating the group, while Western countries have prioritised the issue of human rights, especially women's rights, in their engagement with the Taliban.

Russia and China agree with the United States and Europe on the concerns raised by Western countries regarding the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan and the importance of upholding women's rights. They have jointly called upon the Taliban to take concrete action in response to these demands.