Taliban Administration to Attend UN Global Climate Change Summit for Second Time

Representatives of the Taliban administration are set to participate as observers in the 61st UN Global Climate Change Conference (COP31), which will be held next week in Antalya, Turkey. Royaullah Amin, head of the Climate Change Department at Afghanistan’s Environmental Protection Authority, has confirmed the Kabul team’s attendance at the summit. According to the Associated Press, the invitation was extended to the Taliban representatives as guest observers. A Turkish official also confirmed the Taliban delegation’s presence at the event. Previously, the Taliban administration participated for the first time in a climate summit after taking power in 2021, attending the conference held two years ago in Baku, Azerbaijan. The Taliban’s involvement in these meetings comes amid widespread concerns regarding the lack of transparency, environmental policies, and climate commitments of the administration, with the implications for the Afghan people remaining unclear.