UN-sponsored conference on Afghanistan

The Taliban-controlled Foreign Ministry released a statement on Saturday that the group’s unwillingness to attend the UN-sponsored conference.

The two-day meeting, hosted by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, opened on Sunday in Doha, Qatar. The Taliban interim government was invited for the first time along with delegates from UN member states. The international community has been urging the Taliban to improve human rights for women, but the group has rejected the call as interference in Afghanistan’s affairs.