A Taliban letter to the secretary-general sets the stage for a diplomatic showdown.
The Taliban has ended weeks of speculation over its plans to seek diplomatic recognition at the United Nations, asking U.N. Secretary-General Antońio Guterres for a speaking slot at the U.N. General Assembly and requesting that the world body boot out the current Afghan U.N. ambassador.
The development injected a new dose of diplomatic drama at the General Assembly on a day when U.S. President Joe Biden made his case for world leadership and Guterres delivered a gloomy address about how the world was standing at an “abyss” with the coronavirus pandemic, humanitarian crises, and looming climate catastrophes.
Showdown coming : On Monday, Ameer Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s self-styled foreign minister, wrote to Guterres asking to participate in the U.N. General Assembly debate this week, according to Stephane Dujarric, the U.N.’s chief spokesperson.
The move sets the stage for a political battle between the Taliban and the United States and its Western partners, who are reluctant to recognize the Taliban before it demonstrates a willingness to form an inclusive government and respect the human rights of the Afghan people, particularly women and girls.
It has also put Afghanistan’s current U.N. ambassador, Ghulam Isaczai, on the spot. Isaczai kept his seat even after the Taliban toppled his government last month. (For more on Isaczai’s unique predicament, scroll down).
One major player in this drama will be the nine-member U.N. Credentialing Committee, which reviews cases of competing requests to represent a country at the United Nations. The United States is on that committee. It doesn’t usually meet until November, so don’t expect an immediate answer on the issue.
The case of Afghanistan’s seat mirrors another diplomatic dispute with the credentialing committee with regard to Myanmar, where the military power that took power in a coup this year is urging the United Nations to install its ambassador in New York.
A Taliban UNGA speech is unlikely. Former officials said it’s not likely the United Nations will grant the Taliban their request for a speaking slot at the last minute. It would be a diplomatic coup for the Taliban when most countries, first and foremost the United States, are loath to hand the group any more wins.
U.S. and U.N. officials see granting international legitimacy to the Taliban as one of the last points of leverage they have left with the extremist militant group to protect civil rights in Afghanistan and tamp down violent reprisals against Afghans who helped the U.S. and coalition war efforts for 20 years.
The United States isn’t telegraphing its stance on the matter. Keep in mind, it still relies on the Taliban’s good will to allow a small number of U.S. citizens and Afghan allies to freely leave the country after the chaotic withdrawal.
“The United States is following this issue closely and will work with the other members of the Credentials Committee in due course,” a spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the United Nations said.
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