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OIC chief says coordinated, strategic approach needed for Afghanistan
Secretary General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Hissein Brahim Taha said on Tuesday there was a pressing need for a “well-coordinated and strategically integrated approach to the wide range of challenges facing Afghanistan and its people”.
In a statement to delegates at the Tashkent International Conference on Afghanistan: Security and Economic Development, which was read out by IOC special envoy to Afghanistan Tarig Ali Bakhiet, Taha said such an approach would only be feasible though pursuing sustained and constructive engagement with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).
Taha also called on multilateral aid, development, and humanitarian organizations to provide life-saving humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan’s vulnerable communities.
He encouraged OIC Member States, world countries, and international as well as regional organizations to consider making contributions to the OIC Trust Fund for Afghanistan.
“The larger the support to the Trust Fund, the wider the scope of assistance projects will be, and subsequently greater segments of Afghan society would benefit from such assistance programs,” he said.
Taha indicated that the ultimate objective lies in promoting the realization and enjoyment of fundamental rights and freedoms by all Afghan citizens in a secure, stable and economically thriving environment.
Tomas Niklasson, the Special Envoy of the European Union for Afghanistan, meanwhile issued a short statement after Tuesday’s meeting and said he “underlined the lack of a recognised Afghan government and the need for inclusive governance where all Afghan women and men have a say and where different political factions and ethnic and sectarian groups are represented.”
Special Envoy on Afghan Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Yue Xiaoyong also addressed the meeting and noted that the situation in Afghanistan directly affects security and stability around the world.
Yue stressed that to date, 72 percent of the population of Afghanistan lives below the poverty line, while the unemployment rate is 40 percent.
“China is doing everything possible to improve the situation in Afghanistan,” he said.
“For example, China provided 15 million yuan to mitigate the effects of the recent earthquake. Moreover, we continue importing agricultural products from Afghanistan.”
Yue urged the global community to continue building multilateral coordination and cooperation regarding the situation in Afghanistan.
Hundreds of former U.S. officials are calling on Washington to cancel a reported plan to relocate Afghan refugees from Qatar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In an open letter addressed to the U.S. State Department, more than 600 former civilian and military officials, along with around 100 organizations, urged the administration to stop the proposed transfer. The letter was sent to Marco Rubio.
The signatories argue that the Afghan nationals in question were brought to Qatar by the United States to complete legal immigration procedures after undergoing extensive security vetting. The letter states that while the individuals were cleared for resettlement in the United States, they are now being considered for relocation to Congo, a country for which they were never screened.
“Those individuals were vetted and approved for the United States, not for the Democratic Republic of the Congo,” the letter reads.
According to the report, more than 1,100 Afghan allies and their family members are currently being held at Camp As Sayliyah in Qatar under U.S. supervision. Around 800 of them have already completed all security checks and received authorization to travel to the United States. More than half are women and children, and many have remained in transit limbo for over 15 months.
The situation has drawn criticism from former officials and policy observers, who describe the proposed relocation as a betrayal of Afghan allies who supported U.S. missions and risked their lives during the war in Afghanistan. Critics also warn that the move could damage U.S. credibility with future partners.
Several members of the U.S. Congress had previously expressed opposition to the proposal, cautioning that it could significantly undermine trust in the United States among its allies.
Asif Durrani, Pakistan’s former special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that no country should interfere in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, stressing that it is up to Afghans themselves to bring about any change in their country.
In a post on X, Durrani said Afghans should be “left to their own devices” and that they would eventually “find the way out” of their challenges.
However, he warned that instability inside Afghanistan could have negative consequences for neighbouring countries, adding that Afghan leaders and their supporters should take responsibility to address such risks.
Durrani described his remarks as a simple expression of goodwill and best wishes for the Afghan people and their future.
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Uzbekistan and Japan discuss joint projects for Afghanistan’s socio-economic development
The Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, has met with Tetsuya Yamada, Director General of the South Asia Department at the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), to discuss cooperation on Afghanistan-related development projects.
According to Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, both sides focused on the implementation of joint initiatives aimed at supporting the socio-economic development of Afghanistan.
During the meeting, the Japanese side praised Uzbekistan’s “pragmatic approach” toward Afghanistan, as well as the infrastructure developed in the border city of Termez.
Japan also expressed interest in utilizing the Termez facilities for future humanitarian and development projects in Afghanistan, particularly in the fields of education, healthcare, agriculture, private sector development, and counter-narcotics efforts.
Both sides emphasized that such cooperation is aimed at improving the living conditions and overall well-being of the Afghan people.
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