The United Nations announced on Tuesday that the Taliban has requested the international organization to allow it to deliver Afghanistan's address during the meetings of the UN General Assembly in New York this week. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told AFP that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres received a letter from the group "requesting participation" in the General Assembly meetings, noting that the ambassador of the previous Afghan government, which was ousted by the militant group, also requested to speak on behalf of Afghanistan.
Dujarric confirmed that the United Nations has not yet decided who will represent Afghanistan at these meetings, clarifying that the competing requests are with the "Credentials Committee," without specifying whether this committee will meet before Monday, the last day for speeches by world leaders on the UN stage over the week.
The spokesperson explained that the Taliban's letter was signed by Amir Khan Muttaqi, the foreign minister in the government formed by the militant group, and dated September 20, the evening before the start of the meeting week. The counter letter was received by the UN Secretary-General on September 15 from Afghanistan’s permanent mission to the UN, signed by Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai. Dujarric did not clarify whether the "foreign minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan" requested to attend in person to deliver his country’s address or to send it through a video feed to be broadcast before the General Assembly, as is the case with many heads of state’s addresses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In his letter, Muttaqi stated that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was "ousted" and that the entire world "no longer recognizes him as president" of Afghanistan. He added that the Taliban government appointed Suhail Shaheen, its spokesperson in Doha, as Afghanistan's ambassador to the UN.
No government around the world has yet recognized the government formed by the Taliban, and they have conditioned recognition on the group first meeting several requirements, primarily respecting women's rights and allowing those who wish to leave Afghanistan to do so.
The Credentials Committee of the United Nations consists of Russia, China, the United States, Sweden, South Africa, Sierra Leone, Chile, Bhutan, and the Bahamas. A diplomatic source told AFP that in the past, when the Credentials Committee received opposing requests regarding the diplomatic representation of a member state, its members often refrained from making a decision on the matter and would simply refer it to the General Assembly to resolve through a vote.
