76th Session Of UN General Assembly, No Speech On Behalf Of Afghanistan

Illustration of a session of the United Nations General Assembly. (Wikimedia Commons/Basil D Soufi)

JAKARTA - No representatives from Afghanistan will address the 76th UN General Assembly this year, after the ambassador to the government ousted by the Taliban, who was due to speak on Monday US time, withdrew its name.

The move comes as Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai and the Taliban, who seized power in Afghanistan last month, mutually claim for Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations.

The issue of UN accreditation is handled by a committee of nine countries, including the United States, China, and Russia. The committee will not meet until October or November, and until a decision Isaczai remains in his seat.

Originally, Isaczai had been due to address the final day of the UN summit, but stepped down on Sunday evening, diplomats said.

The UN Afghanistan mission in New York posted on Twitter on Monday, "Isaczai decided not to speak in order to safeguard national interests, maintain Afghanistan's standing at the UN and to continue long-term cooperation with the UN and the Security Council on key issues," citing Reuters. 28 September.

Next, the post added, Ambassador Isaczai will continue activities as usual at the world body.

Earlier, the Taliban-appointed Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, last week asked to address a gathering of world leaders at the United Nations, nominating Doha-based Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen as Afghanistan's ambassador to the United Nations.

However, this wish could not be fulfilled, as the credential committee had not yet met to consider who should sit on the UN seat in Afghanistan.

When the Taliban last ruled between 1996 and 2001, the ambassador of the Afghan government they ousted remained the UN representative, after the credential committee delayed its decision on a rival claim to the seat.

The UN's acceptance of the Taliban ambassador would be an important step in the group's efforts to gain international recognition, which could help open up the flow of funds needed when Afghanistan is beset by cash shortages.

Separately, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the Taliban's desire for international recognition was the only leverage other countries had to press for an inclusive and rights-respecting government, especially for women, in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Saturday that international recognition of the Taliban was not currently being considered.