A number of Afghan political figures, including Ahmad Massoud, Abdul Rashid Dostum, Ismail Khan, Hanif Atmar, Mohammad Mohaqiq and Atta Mohammad Noor, have called for a UN-supervised intra-Afghan peace talks.
The joint statement, issued under the title “National Consensus of Afghan Political Parties and Movements,” was released on Tuesday during an online meeting aimed at presenting a shared proposal for resolving Afghanistan’s current crisis.
Three days earlier, Afghanistan International had reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran, in meetings with former Afghan officials, was encouraging Taliban opponents to reconcile with the group. The report said a joint “National Consensus” declaration was expected to follow.
In the statement, the signatories stress that Afghanistan’s crisis must be resolved through negotiations and a lasting intra-Afghan agreement, facilitated by the United Nations with support from the UN Security Council, regional countries and the broader international community.
According to the statement, any political settlement must be binding, guarantee sustainable peace, national reconciliation and the establishment of a legitimate governing system. It also states that compliance with the agreement must be the primary condition for recognising any government in Afghanistan, and that the participation of women and young people in the talks must be ensured.
The declaration calls for the restoration of national sovereignty through a legitimate, representative system, and urges coordinated efforts among political and civil forces to reach inclusive agreements and hold free, nationwide elections.
It also emphasises drafting a new constitution, safeguarding Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity, and “preventing the country from becoming a battleground for foreign rivalries.”
The signatories identify upholding human rights and combating discrimination as key priorities. They outline several urgent steps: lifting the ban on women’s and girls’ education and employment; halting the arrest and torture of former government employees; preventing land usurpation and forced displacement; stopping the sale of natural resources without public oversight; and removing unlawful restrictions on freedom of expression.
Elsewhere in the statement, the signatories call for increased humanitarian aid and for greater transparency in its distribution. They also urge the ruling group to lift restrictions on women’s work and to use national revenues transparently to meet the needs of vulnerable citizens. Donor countries are asked to step up efforts to prevent the misuse of humanitarian aid, and governments that halted assistance are encouraged to resume it under the supervision of a neutral committee.
The declaration calls on the Taliban to respond to public demands for restoring national sovereignty, resolving the crisis through intra-Afghan dialogue and respecting human rights especially women’s rights. The signatories warn that otherwise Afghans will resort to legitimate means to rescue the country from its current situation.
The statement concludes by urging political and civil groups to support the goals of the National Consensus, and calling on neighbouring states, regional actors and the international community to back the demands of the Afghan people. It also asks the United Nations to ensure the participation of Afghanistan’s political and civil society actors in any UN-led political process.
In recent weeks, some opposition political figures have travelled to Iran. Neda Mohammad Nadeem, the Taliban’s minister of higher education and a close ally of the group’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, has also visited Tehran. So far, however, no direct talks between the Taliban and opposition figures have been reported.
Iran is concerned that Pakistan, by supporting Afghan opposition groups, could weaken the Taliban regime. Many analysts believe the Islamic Republic does not view the collapse of the Taliban government as being in its interest.
