UN Faces Heat Over Exclusion of Afghan Women from Crucial Taliban Meeting

The UN has been criticized for excluding Afghan women from a key meeting with the Taliban, despite assurances that women’s rights will be addressed. The meeting, chaired by UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo, aims to tackle major issues like private business, banking, and counter-narcotics policy.

The United Nations is under fire for not including Afghan women in an upcoming critical meeting with the Taliban, despite assertions that women's rights will be discussed. UN special envoy Roza Otunbayeva faced tough questions from journalists on Friday about the criticism from human rights organizations regarding the exclusion of Afghan women from the meeting in Doha on June 30 and July 1.

The meeting, led by UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo, will be the first face-to-face interaction between the Taliban and envoys from 22 countries. Although a few female envoys will be present, Afghan women will not participate. This omission has drawn criticism from human rights groups, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, who argue that the meeting's credibility is at stake.

Among the pressing issues to be discussed are private business, banking, and counter-narcotics policy. The UN hopes that the dialogue will continue and make headway in alleviating the crises facing the Afghan people, with future meetings planned to address climate change impacts and other urgent matters.

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