Taliban Officials To Attend COP29 Climate Summit First Time After Afghanistan Takeover

Afghan Taliban officials will participate in the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking their first appearance at a major international conference since taking control of Afghanistan in 2021. This participation, which is limited to the Taliban’s environmental officials, comes as Afghanistan faces severe climate challenges, including devastating flash floods and droughts that have deeply impacted the country.

The Taliban’s participation in COP29 follows years of international isolation due to the group’s human rights record, particularly its restrictions on women’s education and movement. While the United Nations has not granted the Taliban the right to represent Afghanistan in its General Assembly, and most UN member states do not recognize their government, the Afghan delegation has been invited to attend COP29 as observers by Azerbaijan. However, they will not receive full credentials to participate in the core discussions of the summit.

The Afghan Foreign Ministry confirmed that representatives from Afghanistan’s National Environmental Protection Agency arrived in Baku ahead of the conference. These officials are expected to engage in peripheral discussions and hold bilateral meetings, although they are excluded from formal proceedings due to Afghanistan’s lack of recognition by the UN

The Taliban’s attendance comes at a time when Afghanistan is suffering the effects of climate change, with the country facing severe flooding and droughts that have devastated agricultural communities. Many Afghans, particularly subsistence farmers, are struggling with worsening food insecurity.

Humanitarian organizations have expressed concern about Afghanistan’s exclusion from international platforms, arguing that the lack of engagement only exacerbates the country’s difficulties. Habib Mayar, deputy general secretary of the g7+, an intergovernmental organization of conflict-affected nations, stated that Afghanistan’s isolation from the international community has intensified its humanitarian needs, calling it a “double price” the Afghan people are paying.

As COP29 kicks off, the focus will be on addressing global climate challenges, but for Afghanistan, the event also underscores the ongoing struggles faced by its people amidst political and environmental crises.