Women's Political Participation Network Welcomes Canada's Stance on Supporting Women and Civil Society at the Doha Meeting

The Canadian government’s statement, that released regarding the participation of David Sproule, Canada's Special Envoy for Afghanistan, at the third Doha meeting, said, "This country is deeply disappointed that the UN organizers excluded non-Taliban Afghan participants, including women's advocates, religious and ethnic minorities, and human rights groups, from the main sessions of the meeting."

Canada clearly articulated its "deep disappointment over the absence of civil society at the third Doha meeting, whether privately or in coordination with other governments."

The statement emphasized that "the full, equal, and meaningful participation of Afghan women in the Doha process is not only a core principle of the Women, Peace, and Security agenda but is essential for achieving a peaceful, stable, and inclusive Afghanistan." According to the statement, none of the goals pursued by the Afghan people can be achieved without the full participation of women.

The Canadian government further noted that "on the eve of the third Doha meeting, it consulted with Afghan civil society, human rights groups, and women to hear their concerns and used its platform to amplify the messages of those who bravely spoke out against human rights abuses by the Taliban but were not invited to the main sessions."

In response, the "Afghanistan Women's Political Participation Network" expressed gratitude and appreciation for Canada's stance.

The network also expressed concern over the UN's actions and international community engagement with and support for the Taliban.

The network’s statement said: "The international community, by inviting the Taliban to the Doha meeting, has once again demonstrated that it does not value the future and fate of millions of Afghan women and girls. It is willing to engage with the Taliban, the enemy of the Afghan people, to achieve its goals and is prepared to sacrifice the people of Afghanistan for its bilateral policies. We, the people of Afghanistan, do not want the misogynistic and fundamentalist Taliban group and will never grant it legitimacy or recognition."