Taliban Talks With U.N. Go On Despite Alarm Over Exclusion of Women
New York TimesJun 27
First UN-Sponsored Talks on Afghanistan With Taliban Conclude in Qatar
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The Facts
A two-day, UN-sponsored meeting between the Taliban and the international community concluded on Monday in Doha, Qatar—the first time the Taliban has taken part in the talks surrounding the status of Afghanistan.
The Taliban entered the talks seeking a loosening of financial sanctions, such as the release of $7B in frozen assets, while international participants encouraged the Taliban to meet international obligations on such issues as women's rights and drug trafficking.
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
To hold talks in Afghanistan that don't take into account the Taliban's uniquely egregious disregard for human rights is laughable. The concerns of women and other minority groups were completely sidelined from the discussions, even though the isolation of the Taliban is due to their callous disregard for them. It's shocking that the UN would placate this monstrous regime and give them an ounce of legitimacy in Doha.
Establishment-critical narrative
Progress occurs somewhere between idealism and realism, and it's too easy to pontificate about the Taliban without making any effort to engage with them. While the world is greatly concerned about the status of women in Afghanistan, the West must treat the Taliban as any other de facto government if they want to see change. Politics is a game of give-and-take, and the world must meet the regime on their terms as political actors.
