Fourth Doha Process Meeting on Drug Control Held in Kabul Amid Synthetic Drug Concerns
The fourth meeting of the drug control working group known as the “Doha Process” was held on Wednesday, 15th of Dalw, in Kabul. According to the Taliban administration, the main focus of the discussions was the growing concern over the increase in synthetic drugs in Afghanistan.
Hafiz Zia Ahmad, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, announced in a statement that participants in the meeting expressed worries about the spread of synthetic drugs. According to these remarks, the Taliban administration claimed that most of these substances are imported into the country from outside Afghanistan.
The meeting was attended both in person and online by representatives from the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), UN-affiliated organizations, international and regional organizations, the European Union, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, as well as ambassadors, diplomats, and experts. UNAMA hosted the event.
The Taliban administration reiterated in this meeting its previous claim that they have reduced drug cultivation in Afghanistan to almost zero. However, despite prior assertions, transparent details and independent reports on the outcomes—including the livelihood conditions of farmers and the sustainability of this trend—have not been widely published.
According to the statement, representatives from some countries and organizations pledged cooperation and emphasized the necessity of providing alternative livelihoods for farmers. This issue remains one of the serious challenges facing the Taliban’s drug control policies, especially in the absence of practical programs and clear accountability.
