Critics Say Doha Meeting Lacked De Facto Authorities, Opposition

The second Doha meeting on Afghanistan reportedly did not indclude either representatives of the Islamic Emirate nor its political opponents.

Coordinating international engagement on Afghanistan and reintegrating Afghanistan into the international system were the objectives of the meeting.

Political analysts questioned the effictiveness of the meeting as neither representatives of Kabul nor its opponents were present in the meeting.

“I am not sure that the meeting will be fruitful because the Afghanistan government was not present in the meeting. In every meeting, if representatives from the current government do not take part, the meetings will not be efficient,” said Moeen Gul Samkanai, head of Afghanistan’s Haq and Adalat party.

In the meantime, Afghanistan’s Journalists Center also criticized the absence of journalists in the meeting.

The center in a statement said that not inviting civil activists from inside Afghanistan indicates the indifference of the international community in its support of Afghan journalists.

Some members of Afghanistan’s civil society that are based abroad have been invited to Doha meeting which we appreciate. But not inviting civil activists from inside Afghanistan despite the matter having been discussed with UNAMA, shows the indifference of the international community, the UN in particular, towards supporting the media community inside the country, reads part of the statement of the AFJC.

Some said the question about the selection criteria for such meetings is still unclear.

“Most of the talks in the meeting were held among the UN colleagues. As per my understanding, the UN has been in contact with the participants. I’m not sure if there is any mechanism to select people for such meetings. Human rights activists and those who have been active in media were part of the meeting. Because all issues are somehow related to politics and governance in Afghanistan,” said Nasir Ahmad Andisha, the permanent representative of Afghanistan to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.

Representatives from over 25 countries participated in the meeting.

Mahbouba Saraj, Shah Gul Rezayee, Mitra Mehran and Lotfullah Najafizada were representing Afghanistan’s civil society in the meeting, and they also met with the UN chief and envoys of countries.