Taliban to press UN for recognition as economic woes fester

Taliban to press UN for recognition as economic woes fester

Politics















Bloomberg

The Taliban-appointed permanent representative to the United Nations says the new Afghan government is pressing the international body for recognition and a member’s seat as the lack of legitimacy hurts the country’s economy and diplomacy.

“Why the world is not recognizing us when we have met their conditions,” Suhail Shaheen said in an interview from Doha, Qatar. He said his government has already allowed women and girls to attend universities, one of the international community’s main concerns, and are in talks with the UN.

The lack of international recognition has hurt the Taliban — who took over power last year as US and Nato troops in Afghanistan exited — shuttering it’s aid-reliant economy and closing it off from the world.

The new regime is unable to appoint new envoys overseas and representatives of the American-backed former Afghan government are either stepping away from their jobs or refusing to represent the Taliban, citing lack of international recognition as a key factor.

The ambassador to China Javid Qaem, a holdover from the previous government, quit his job last month. The envoy in New Delhi, Farid Mamundzai, has also said he would