The new round of technical working group meetings under the Doha Process opened Monday in Qatar, with representatives from the Taliban, U.N. agencies, and international stakeholders discussing counter-narcotics efforts and private sector development in Afghanistan.
Hosted by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), the talks include the third meeting of the working group on drug control and the second on private sector development. According to UNAMA, participants include member state representatives, Taliban delegates, international experts, and Afghan stakeholders — including women.
The Taliban has sent a seven-member delegation to attend the meetings, with participants from the Ministries of Public Health, Interior, Foreign Affairs, and Agriculture. Among them are Enamullah Hamad, head of the Taliban’s national drug treatment program, and Hedayatullah Oria Khel, a senior health official.
According to the Taliban’s Ministry of Public Health, discussions in the narcotics group are focused on collaborative efforts to halt opium cultivation and the production of illegal drugs.
Faiz Mohammad Zaland, a political analyst and university professor, said the meetings are continuing discussions on two major fronts: curbing the narcotics trade and supporting Afghanistan’s private sector.
Some economic experts believe the consultations on the private sector are aimed at alleviating the country’s deepening economic crisis. “These meetings are primarily focused on supporting private enterprise, lifting sanctions, reducing trade and financial restrictions, and attracting foreign investment,” said Sair Quraishi, an economist.
The Doha working group meetings are scheduled to continue for two days.
However, the format has drawn criticism from some observers who argue that the discussions disproportionately reflect the Taliban’s policy priorities — particularly on narcotics and economic development — while neglecting broader concerns.
Critics have warned against legitimizing the Taliban through such dialogue without addressing their ongoing human rights abuses. “The international community must not remain silent in the face of systemic repression, especially of Afghan women,” one rights advocate said, cautioning against sidelining the demands of the Afghan public in pursuit of narrow diplomatic engagement.
