United Nations, New York — A United Nations spokesman said on Thursday that Russia’s recent decision to suspend its ban on the Taliban was a sovereign matter for Moscow and did not alter the Taliban’s standing within the United Nations.
Speaking at a press briefing, Stéphane Dujarric, the UN spokesman, emphasized that the status of the Taliban at the United Nations remains unchanged. “It’s a sovereign decision of the Russian Federation,” Dujarric said. “The Taliban’s status within the UN, as decided by the Member States, remains unchanged.”
He declined to elaborate further when pressed for additional comment.
Russia on Thursday announced that it had suspended its designation of the Taliban as a banned organization within its territory and indicated plans to expand ties with the group across various sectors.
Despite this move, the Taliban remains under international sanctions and continues to be listed as a sanctioned entity by several countries and global institutions. The Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021, has not been recognized by the United Nations, and their representatives are not accredited at the organization.
