Despite efforts by the Taliban militia to lobby United Nations officials, the international body’s credentials committee members have again recommended against recognizing the regime as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. Both the Taliban and the previous Afghanistan government, led by President Burhanuddin Rabbani, had applied to the UN in an effort to secure Afghanistan’s UN seat.
A Russian committee member proposed to defer the decision on the applications from both parties, and representatives from Zimbabwe, China, Fiji and the United States concurred. The UN General Assembly, which will make the final decision, is expected to heed the credentials committee’s recommendation and President Rabbani’s ambassador is expected to retain the U.N. seat for at least another year.
The Taliban now controls 90% of Afghanistan and continues to deny men, and especially women, their basic human rights.
Only Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and United Arab Emirates have agreed to recognize the Taliban, but even this support has weakened since last month, when Saudi Arabia ordered its representative back from Kabul and dismissed the Afghan charge d’affaires.
