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UN-led Doha meeting with IEA not about recognition, says UN
The UN-led meeting aims to engage with the Islamic Emirate on various issues including engagement going forward, along with sessions on private sector business and counter-narcotics.
A United Nations-led meeting with Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate (IEA) in Qatar this weekend will not be a discussion about international recognition of the group, the UN political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said on Wednesday.
The meeting, which will also be attended by envoys from some 25 countries, will be the third such meeting in Doha and gets underway on June 30.
It will however be the first time the IEA attends the meeting.
“This is not a meeting about recognition. This is not a meeting to lead to recognition … Having engagement doesn’t mean recognition,” DiCarlo told reporters.
“This isn’t about the Taliban (Islamic Emirate). This is about Afghanistan and the people.”
The UN-led meeting aims to engage with the Islamic Emirate on various issues including engagement going forward, along with sessions on private sector business and counter-narcotics.
This UN official also says that the work on appointing a UN special representative for Afghanistan is currently pending and will not be discussed in the Doha meeting.
According to DiCarlo, for this, the support of all 15 members of the Security Council of this organization is needed, but the issue of appointing a special representative for Afghanistan is not over, and she wants the United Nations to take steps in this regard.
It was expected that the appointment of a special representative would also be discussed at the third Doha meeting.
Meanwhile, Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the United Nations Deputy Mission in Afghanistan or UNAMA met with Amir Khan Muttaqi, Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs in Kabul and discussed the points of the agenda and other issues including the composition of the delegation of the Islamic Emirate at the Doha meeting.
In a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the head of UNAMA was quoted as saying she considered the Doha meeting to be a suitable opportunity for the parties to express their views on issues related to Afghanistan.
Matthew Miller, the spokesperson of the United States Department of State, says that the US special representatives for Afghanistan, Thomas West and Rina Amiri, will participate in the third Doha meeting, and the purpose of the US presence in this meeting is to emphasize the need for the current government of Afghanistan to fulfill its commitments.
“America will participate in this meeting. Both our special representative for Afghanistan, Thomas West, and the US special representative for Afghan women and girls, Rina Amiri, will participate in this meeting.
“We participate in this meeting to pressure the Taliban (Islamic Emirate) together with the international community to fulfill their obligations to the Doha Agreement, including their behavior towards women,” said Miller.
Previously, Rina Amiri, the US special representative for women, girls and human rights in Afghanistan, said that until the issue of human rights is included in the agenda of the future talks in Afghanistan, conflicts will continue in this country.
Rights groups have however criticized the UN for not having Afghan women at the table with the Islamic Emirate in Doha.
But UN officials and the country envoys attending the meeting are due to meet separately with Afghan civil society groups.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman, will lead Afghanistan’s delegation to the meeting.
International Sports
Messi breaks World Cup scoring record as Argentina reach knockout stage
The record-breaking performance continued a remarkable run for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches and leads the Golden Boot race with five goals.
Lionel Messi added another remarkable chapter to his legendary career on Monday, becoming the all-time leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history as Argentina secured a 2-0 victory over Austria and booked their place in the knockout rounds of the 2026 tournament.
The Argentine captain scored both goals in a hard-fought Group J encounter, taking his World Cup tally to 18 goals and surpassing Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who previously held the record with 16.
Just days before his 39th birthday, Messi delivered when it mattered most, despite seeing an early penalty saved. His brace ensured defending champions Argentina maintained their perfect start to the tournament and qualified for the Round of 32 with a game to spare.
The record-breaking performance continued a remarkable run for the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, who has now scored in six consecutive World Cup matches and leads the Golden Boot race with five goals.
Nearly 20 years after making his World Cup debut, Messi is once again at the centre of football history, proving that age has done little to diminish his extraordinary influence on the game’s biggest stage.
As the race for the trophy heats up, fans across Afghanistan can tune in live to Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) to watch the thrilling event. For updated schedules, highlights and information, fans can follow Ariana Television and Ariana News’ social media platforms.
Latest News
UN warns life becoming ‘impossible’ in remote areas of Afghanistan as aid funding falls short
Olga Cherevko, an OCHA official, said some villages have been left nearly deserted as families migrate in search of better living conditions.
The United Nations has warned that life is becoming increasingly difficult in remote parts of Afghanistan as a deepening humanitarian crisis, driven by drought, food insecurity, and a severe funding shortfall, continues to affect millions across the country.
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), nearly 22 million people in Afghanistan require humanitarian assistance, while the organization’s $1.7 billion appeal for 2026 has received only 14 percent of the funding needed.
Aid workers say prolonged drought and water scarcity have devastated rural communities, forcing many families to abandon their homes and livelihoods. In Bamyan province, one of the country’s hardest-hit regions, residents have reported widespread crop failures due to a lack of water for irrigation.
Olga Cherevko, an OCHA official, said some villages have been left nearly deserted as families migrate in search of better living conditions.
“This particular village (in Bamyan province) that I went to, they told me that around half of the population had left, actually, because there’s simply no water to irrigate the lands, and so all the crops that they were growing, they dried up,” Cherevko told UN News. “People who could leave, they left.”
Those who remain often lack the resources to relocate and face severe hardship. Cherevko recalled meeting a father of nine whose family was surviving on a soup made from potato peelings.
The crisis is particularly severe for children. The United Nations estimates that 3.7 million Afghan children are suffering from acute malnutrition, with many cases going undetected until it is too late. Aid workers have reported instances where children died because parents were unaware of the signs of malnutrition and delayed seeking treatment.
Despite financial constraints, humanitarian agencies continue to provide assistance. Between January and April this year, aid partners reached 5.9 million people with at least one form of support, including 3.5 million people who received food assistance.
However, the United Nations has warned that without significantly increased international funding, millions of Afghans will remain vulnerable to worsening hunger, poverty, and displacement in the months ahead.
Latest News
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