KABUL, Afghanistan — The UN has shifted its focus away from organizing a fourth Doha meeting on Afghanistan and is instead prioritizing its new political framework for the country, according to sources familiar with the discussions.
The consultations on the UN’s proposed plan are still ongoing and have not yet been finalized, sources told Amu TV. A UN official emphasized that once all views from stakeholders have been gathered, the organization will decide on the next steps for the initiative.
The new plan centers on six key issues: the formation of an inclusive government, counterterrorism cooperation, human rights, the lifting of sanctions on the Taliban, access to Afghanistan’s frozen assets, and the transfer of diplomatic representation to the Taliban.
More than three and a half years after the Taliban’s return to power, UN efforts to break Afghanistan’s political deadlock and address its deepening human rights crisis have struggled to gain traction. Three rounds of Doha meetings previously aimed to find solutions, but tangible progress has been limited.
Sources said that instead of convening a fourth Doha meeting of special envoys, as had been expected, the UN is now focused on refining the new framework. The plan reflects three major demands from the international community — an inclusive government, counterterrorism measures, and respect for human rights — and three from the Taliban — the lifting of sanctions, the release of frozen financial assets, and control over Afghanistan’s foreign diplomatic missions.
Consultations with regional and Western countries are ongoing. A UN source told Amu TV that once all feedback is collected, the organization will make a decision about how to move forward with the plan.
Earlier, sources told Amu TV that the UN had gathered regional and international feedback on Afghanistan’s political future during a February consultation meeting.
“We need a comprehensive solution that can break Afghanistan’s political, economic, humanitarian, and cultural deadlock. Any plan that emerges from regional and international coordination could help save the country,” Azizi Rafiee, a political analyst, said.
The new plan echoes recommendations made by the UN’s independent assessment on Afghanistan last year, which had called for the appointment of a special envoy and emphasized the need for an inclusive government, counterterrorism cooperation, and the inclusion of women in governance. However, despite Security Council Resolution 2721, many of those recommendations have not been implemented.
Taliban have repeatedly rejected two of the key proposals now resurfacing in the UN’s new plan: the formation of an inclusive government and human rights reforms. Taliban officials maintain that their interpretations of these issues differ fundamentally from those of the international community.
