There is no movement among U.N. member states to transfer Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations to the Taliban administration, a U.N. spokesperson said on Tuesday, underscoring the continued lack of international recognition nearly five years after the group returned to power.
According to IRAF, Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the U.N. Secretary-General, told a press briefing that member states had shown no indication of supporting the transfer of Afghanistan’s U.N. credentials to the Taliban.
Responding to a question about the conditions for such a move, Haq said decisions on recognizing governments rest with U.N. member states and noted that such recognition had not been extended to the Taliban authorities.
Afghanistan’s seat at the United Nations remains held by Naseer Ahmad Faiq, the envoy appointed by the former Afghan government, despite nearly five years of Taliban rule. During that period, the U.N. Credentials Committee has repeatedly postponed or declined to approve the Taliban’s request to represent Afghanistan at the world body.
Many governments have linked any formal recognition of the Taliban administration to conditions including respect for human rights, protection of the rights of women and girls, effective action against terrorism, and the formation of an inclusive government. Those conditions, they say, have yet to be met.
The Taliban have imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s education and public life since returning to power and have faced widespread international criticism over their human rights record.
Governments have also continued to express concern over the presence of militant groups in Afghanistan, warning that the absence of an inclusive political framework could heighten the risk of instability.
The Taliban reject international calls for an inclusive government, describing them as interference in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, and maintain that their current administration already represents all segments of Afghan society.
