MONITORING (SW) – The U.S. State Department Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has said in regards to the third Doha Meeting on Afghanistan that Washington holds serious reservations regarding women rights situation.
The US Special Representative Tom West and Special Envoy Rina Amiri attended these UN-convened meetings in Doha on Afghanistan this week, along with allies, dozens of countries, international organizations, and others are present.
Vedant Patel said the US was committed to participating in this after receiving assurances from the UN that the discussion would meaningly address human rights, particularly the plight of women and girls; and importantly, that there would be opportunities for engagement in Doha with Afghan women and civil society.
At a session at the third Doha Conference on the Economy, Special Representative West and Special Envoy Amiri also made clear that the Afghan economy cannot grow while half the population’s rights are not respected, he said. “It is well known that the Taliban’s policies are robbing the Afghan economy of over a billion dollars per year, and GDP, Patel added.
He added the US Envoy made clear that the primary reason private banks have reservations about doing more business in Afghanistan is reputational, and that it is rooted in the “Taliban’s atrocious human rights conduct.”
He added the broad general license issued by the US Treasury Department, relief organizations as well as businesses have the leeway they need to support the Afghan people despite sanctions.
ENDS
