Taliban Excluded from UN Climate Summit Amid Political Concerns
Amir Khan Muttaqi, acting foreign minister of the Taliban administration, has said that no representatives from the group were invited to attend the United Nations global climate conference, known as COP30, due to what he described as ‘political reasons.’
He made the remarks on Tuesday, November 17, during the fifth coordination meeting between the Taliban administration and United Nations offices in Kabul. The COP30 summit had taken place earlier, on November 9, in Brazil. The conference gathered world leaders, scientists, and environmental activists to make decisions aimed at mitigating the climate crisis.
Muttaqi expressed his belief that humanitarian aid efforts should not be linked to political issues. He emphasized that the Taliban administration has created the conditions necessary for the UN to implement its programs across all regions of Afghanistan.
However, field reports and concerns raised by international organizations present a contrasting picture. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has officially warned that its female staff have been subjected to threats from armed forces in different parts of the country.
In addition, several humanitarian organizations have reported that strict Taliban-imposed restrictions on women’s participation in aid activities have significantly disrupted the delivery of humanitarian assistance. These challenges have created major obstacles to accessing international support, contrary to the Taliban administration’s claims.
