For the third time, the United Nations Credentials Committee has deferred its decision on assigning Afghanistan’s seat in the organization to the Taliban.
The Committee convened on December 6, 2023, and reviewed two conflicting communications regarding Afghanistan’s representation at the seventy-eighth session of the General Assembly.
The first, dated August 25, 2023, came from the Chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in New York. The second, dated September 17, 2023, was from the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Committee decided to postpone its consideration of the credentials for the representatives of Myanmar and Afghanistan, planning to revisit these issues later in the seventy-eighth session,” the Committee announced. This decision was adopted without a vote.
As a result of this postponement, Naseer Ahmad Faiq, the representative of Afghanistan’s former government, continues to hold his position at the UN.
Previously, the United Nations twice deferred transferring Afghanistan’s seat to the Taliban.
Faiq, appointed by Afghanistan’s former government, currently serves as the country’s permanent representative to the United Nations.
Following their takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has made attempts to secure a UN seat. However, this marks the third occasion the UN has declined to transfer the seat to the Taliban administration.
The UN has stipulated that for recognition, the Taliban must demonstrate a commitment to women’s rights, including access to education and employment, establish an inclusive government, and fulfill international obligations.
