Afghanistan Under the Taliban: Enduring Challenges, Evolving Responses

Introduction In mid-February 2024, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres led an international conference in Doha to discuss and frame a coordinated approach to Afghanistan. Those who gathered at the meeting included special envoys for Afghanistan from 25 countries, members of Afghan civil society organisations, and representatives from regional organisations such as the Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, the European Union, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. It was the second such conference organised by the UN in a year, following the first one in May 2023. The meetings have sought to discuss engagement with the Taliban and work on the recommendations made by the UN Special Coordinator for Afghanistan on the appointment of a new UN Special Envoy for the country. Representatives from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) under the Taliban were not invited for the first conference in May 2023, and this year, the IEA’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs declined the invitation. While this may seem inconsistent with the Taliban’s expressed effort to be included in conversations on Afghanistan, it also reflects the Emirate’s current position of relative influence, two and a half years after the fall of Kabul.