DOHA, Qatar — The 22nd Doha Forum commenced on Saturday in Qatar’s capital, bringing together senior officials from around the globe to address pressing international issues.
The forum was inaugurated with a speech by Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Emir of Qatar, who highlighted the importance of multilateral dialogue in tackling global challenges.
Among the many topics discussed, Afghanistan took center stage in a session titled “A Future Rewritten: How the Taliban’s Vice and Virtue Law Could Reshape Afghanistan.” The session, held on Saturday, examined the implications of the Taliban’s policies on women’s rights, international aid, and Afghanistan’s engagement with the global community.
According to the Doha Forum’s website, the session sought to explore critical questions: “What leverage does the international community have to influence Afghanistan’s internal policies? And what are the implications of this law on international aid, economic development, and the prospects for Afghanistan’s international relations?”
The website detailed the context, noting that three years after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan, restrictions on girls’ education and women’s rights—once described as temporary—have now been codified under the Taliban’s “Preventing Vice and Promoting Virtue” law. This new framework has formalized severe restrictions on women’s freedoms and other civil liberties.
Key participants discuss Afghanistan
The session featured a panel of prominent voices on Afghanistan, including Rina Amiri, U.S. Special Envoy for Afghan Women, Girls, and Human Rights; Georgette Gagnon, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General at the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA); Mohammad Qasim Halimi, Former Afghan Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, now with the Judicial Monitoring and Control Department of the Afghan Supreme Court; Shinkai Karokhail, Former Member of Afghanistan’s Parliament and a leading advocate for women’s rights; Adela Raz, Former Afghan Ambassador to the United States and the United Nations; and Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent for BBC News.
The discussion underscored the international community’s limited influence on the Taliban’s policies while emphasizing the dire consequences of continued restrictions on women’s rights for Afghanistan’s future.
The Doha Forum, a platform for dialogue on critical global issues, continues through the weekend with sessions addressing diplomacy, development, and human rights.
