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Khalilzad proposes ‘agenda’ for UN chief’s meeting on Afghanistan
Former US special representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad said in a series of tweets on Tuesday night that he welcomes the decision by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterrez to host a meeting in Doha of Special Envoys for Afghanistan.
The meeting, expected early next month, should focus on four key factors, Khalilzad said.
He recommended the “full implementation of the Doha Agreement should be embraced as the common goal.”
He also said major figures from the previous Afghan government should embrace the agreement “as the best framework for dealing with Afghanistan’s challenges.”
The agreement has not been fully implemented, and no alternative has comparable broad support among Afghans and the international community, he added.
He also suggested a road map for implementation be drawn up, considering the current conditions in Afghanistan.
In order to develop the road map, “the Secretary-General and the Envoys should have a session with the Taliban (IEA) during their deliberations.”
“This is needed to determine for themselves both whether the Taliban remain committed to the Doha Agreement and to communicate the international community’s commitment to work with them and others on a roadmap for implementation.
“This includes a sequence of steps by the Taliban and the international community. The roadmap must address the issue of women’s education and employment,” Khalilzad said.
In addition, he recommended a follow-up to the meeting, and that “the Secretary-General should appoint a personal Envoy to work with Afghans and the relevant internationals in developing and implementing the roadmap.”
Khalilzad’s remarks came a day after United Nations deputy secretary-general Amina Mohammed said the organization plans to arrange a conference in the coming days to discuss granting recognition to the IEA.
Mohammed told an audience at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs that the international meeting would bring envoys for Afghanistan from around the world to the table, among others.
“What we are hoping is that we’ll gather them now in another two weeks in the region, and they will have that first meeting of envoys across the board — the region and internationally — with the secretary-general for the first time,” she said.
“And out of that, we hope that we’ll find those baby steps to put us back on the pathway to recognition [of the IEA], a principled recognition,” Mohammed said. “Is it possible? I don’t know. [But] that discussion has to happen. The Taliban clearly want recognition, and that’s the leverage we have.”
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum of Afghanistan has signed a five-year contract for the extraction of gold at a mine in Qala-e-Zal district of Kunduz province, with an investment valued at more than $20 million.
According to the ministry, the agreement was signed on Sunday by Hedayatullah Badri, Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum, in the presence of the ambassadors of Azerbaijan and Kyrgyzstan.
The project covers an area of approximately 5.97 square kilometers and is expected to attract an investment of $20.24 million.
Under the terms of the agreement, the company responsible for the project has pledged to pay a 30 percent royalty to the Afghan government and allocate $200,000 toward social development and public service initiatives in the area.
Officials said the project is also expected to generate employment opportunities for around 100 people through both direct and indirect jobs.
The ministry described the agreement as part of ongoing efforts to attract domestic and foreign investment into Afghanistan’s mining sector, which authorities view as a key driver of economic growth and regional cooperation.
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Afghan officials join ICESCO meeting, discuss preservation of Islamic manuscripts
Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.
Officials from the Ministry of Information and Culture participated in an online scientific meeting organised by the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), focused on the preservation of Islamic manuscripts.
Obaidullah Hanif, Director of the National Archive, and Mohammad Shafiq Ahmadzai, Head of Foreign Relations and Cultural Attachés at the ministry, joined the session held by ICESCO’s Centre for Calligraphy and Manuscripts under the theme “Islamic Manuscripts in the World.”
The meeting examined the condition of Islamic manuscripts in Mali and discussed strategies for their preservation and protection as part of global cultural heritage.
ICESCO representatives highlighted that Mali’s extensive collection of hundreds of thousands of historical manuscripts represents one of the most significant repositories of Islamic civilisation and intellectual history in West Africa.
Participants underscored the importance of safeguarding these documents, noting that the focus on Mali reflects the manuscripts’ unique cultural and historical value.
ICESCO is an intergovernmental organization specializing in the fields of education, science and culture.
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Afghanistan announces over 1,000 education ministry vacancies, prioritises returnees
Officials said the hiring will be conducted transparently, with candidates selected strictly on merit, qualifications, and professional competence.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Education has announced 1,060 vacant administrative posts across district education departments and regional education zones, to be filled through an open competitive recruitment process.
Officials said the hiring will be conducted transparently, with candidates selected strictly on merit, qualifications, and professional competence. They stressed that ethnic or regional considerations will not play any role in the selection process.
In a related development, Mohammad Zahid Ahmadzai, Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Affairs, said returning refugees will be given priority in employment opportunities. He added that the ministry is working with multiple institutions to broaden job creation across the country.
Education ministry officials noted that the newly advertised posts form part of a revised organisational structure designed to strengthen administrative capacity across 473 districts nationwide.
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