Meeting of Civil Society Members and Richard Bennett with the Presence of Taliban Representatives in Norway

Translator: Nilam Noorzad

Jumhuri Mudara: Early this morning (Thursday, May 16), Asila Wardak announced via a message on X that the main topics of discussion at the Norway conference were the issues of migrants, humanitarian aid, girls' education, women's employment, and economic empowerment. Representatives from various sectors, ethnicities, and even the Taliban attended this conference.

This conference was referred to as the meeting of civil society members and Richard Bennett, the Special Rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan. Media outlets also reported the presence of Taliban members and their supporters at this meeting, but the organizers and Richard Bennett have not commented on the attendees.

At this meeting, Richard Bennett discussed women's and girls' rights in Afghanistan, the process of accountability for human rights violations, and the environmental impacts of war on children and future generations.

Some women activists claimed that certain participants at this meeting were lobbying for the Taliban and attempting to normalize the group. In response to this criticism, Asila Wardak stated, "Women are not traitors or opportunists; the Taliban are the common enemy of all women." She also added, "Before making any accusations, please ensure your information is complete."

Late last year, Norway also hosted a three-day meeting attended by representatives from European countries, the United States, and Afghan civil and human rights activists, which also included a Taliban delegation led by Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban's acting foreign minister.

This meeting, held on Tuesday, May 14, in Norway, saw participants discussing "Afghanistan's political and human rights issues." According to reports, the Taliban group was represented by Nazar Mohammad Motmaen, Qazi Saeed Meshkalem, Matiullah Mohammadi, Jafar Mahdavi, Sheikh Saleh Mazari, Sayed Younis Agha, Hadid Zaker, and Faiz Zaland.

Representatives of civil society organizations included Kawoon Kakar, Asila Wardak, Momina Yari, Harith Sighani, Abdul Qayoom Sajadi, former parliamentarian, General Ansari, former negotiator, Angela Ahmadi, Karim Amin, senior member of the Islamic Party, Qahramana Kakar, Faiz Mohammad Osmani, and Fatima Gailani.