UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated that consensus has been reached on some key issues pertaining to Afghanistan, but obstacles remain after a two-day meeting in Doha, as reported by Xinhua news agency on Monday.
Guterres emphasized the need for Afghanistan to achieve peace with itself and its neighbors, as well as to fulfill its international obligations as a sovereign state. However, he highlighted that there are still obstacles to overcome in order to break the deadlock on the Afghanistan issue.
One major challenge is that Afghanistan’s current government is not recognized internationally and is not fully integrated into global institutions and the global economy. Additionally, there is growing international concern about deteriorating human rights, especially for women and girls in the country.
Guterres stressed the importance of developing a common roadmap to address the concerns of the international community and the Afghan authorities. The meeting, which was chaired by Guterres, included representatives from more than 20 countries and international organizations, such as China, Russia, and the US. Notably, the Taliban, the de-facto authorities in Afghanistan, did not attend the meeting.
According to Guterres, the conditions set by the Taliban for attending the meeting were “not acceptable,” as they would have denied the right to talk to other representatives of Afghan society and demanded treatment similar to recognition.
In conclusion, while progress has been made in addressing key issues concerning Afghanistan, significant obstacles remain. The international community and Afghan authorities must work together to develop a common roadmap for the future of the country.
