Sanction of Third Doha Meeting by Three Afghan Women's Rights Activists in Protest of Excluding Women from the Agenda

Habiba Sarabi, a member of the former government’s peace negotiation team, Nabila Musleh, former Deputy Minister of Women's Affairs, and Zubaida Akbari, a women's rights activist, are among the women who were invited by the United Nations to this meeting. However, these women have declined to participate.

These women's rights activists, in separate statements, emphasized that the United Nations has ignored the human rights situation of Afghan women by excluding them from the main agenda of the Doha meeting.

Habiba Sarabi, in her statement, said that the United Nations has failed to ensure the meaningful and full participation of women in the third Doha meeting.

Ms. Sarabi pointed out the UN's failure to appoint a special representative for Afghanistan in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 2721, adding: "The United Nations has failed in appointing a special representative for Afghanistan and ensuring the meaningful and full participation of women in the Doha meeting."

Ms. Sarabi stated that the UN has sidelined Afghan women and civil society from the main of the Doha meeting and arranged side sessions for them, which contradicts the complete and meaningful participation of women.

It is noteworthy that the third round of the Doha meeting on Afghanistan, initiated by the United Nations and attended by representatives from 22 countries and several international organizations, is being held today, Sunday (June 30), at the "Ritz Carlton" hotel in Doha, Qatar.

The meeting will be hosted by Rosemary DiCarlo, UN Under-Secretary-General. The Taliban delegation, led by the group's spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, arrived at the venue last night. Additionally, Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, and Tomas Niklasson, the EU Special Envoy for Afghanistan, have announced their attendance at the meeting.

Meanwhile, women's protest movements have called for global demonstrations, condemning the third Doha meeting. This meeting is being held while women, who constitute half of Afghanistan's society, have been excluded from its agenda.