KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan Women’s Coordination Organization criticized the participants of the United Nations’ “meeting with Afghan civil society” in Doha, labeling them as “civil society representatives cooperating with the Taliban.”
In a statement on social media, the group asserted that the United Nations’ meeting, which it described as a “side event,” did not include genuine representatives of women in Afghanistan.
The women’s group claimed that 700 women’s rights activists condemned the United Nations for holding this side event under the guise of a “meeting with Afghan civil society and women.”
The United Nations delegation, led by Rosemary DiCarlo, the U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and special representatives from 15 countries as well as the EU, held a meeting on Tuesday following the conclusion of the third round of Doha talks, which included Taliban representatives.
However, the Afghan Women’s Coordination Organization argued that the attendees were a group of “opportunistic women” who did not represent Afghan women or civil society.
According to sources, seven individuals participated in the meeting, with three attending in person and four joining virtually. Most of the participants were women based in Afghanistan, sources added.
The United Nations, led by DiCarlo, reportedly prevented the disclosure of these individuals’ identities to the media.
Many prominent Afghan and international women figures declined the United Nations’ invitation to this meeting. Additionally, several human rights activists, women’s movements, civil society groups, and protesting Afghan women boycotted the event, describing the Doha talks as a “deal with the Taliban.”
