At the end of a two-day meeting focused on greater engagement with the Asian country, the UN chief assured that the international community wanted peace for the country and for relations with its neighbors.
The meeting was held behind closed doors with the aim of increasing support for Afghans, but the de facto authorities refused to attend despite the invitation.
The group set a number of conditions for its participation that the UN chief said were unacceptable.
“Firstly, they denied us the right to speak to other representatives of Afghan society and demanded treatment that, I would say, was largely equivalent to recognition,” he revealed.
The Secretary General considered it essential that the Taliban be able to assume the international obligations and duties of a sovereign state towards the international community, its neighbors and the rights of the people.
On the one hand, the meeting led to a consensus on the path to peace, on the other hand, it confirmed a stalemate on important issues.
“Afghanistan continues to have a government that is not internationally recognized and in many ways not integrated into global institutions and the economy,” the diplomat warned.
This is consistent with general international perceptions of deteriorating human rights, particularly for women and girls, she said.
The head of the United Nations considered it essential to overcome the stagnation and develop a common roadmap that simultaneously takes into account international concerns and those of the de facto authorities.
At the same time, he highlighted the proposals outlined in an independent review led by Feridun Sinirlioğlu, the country's independent UN representative who will be mandated by the Security Council from 2023.
The UN chief's key concerns included the need for Afghanistan not to become a hotbed of terrorist activity, greater inclusion and progress towards a truly inclusive state.
ro/ebr