Sohail Shaheen: Afghanistan's seat in the United Nations should be given to the Islamic Emirate
The Taliban say Afghanistan's seat at the United Nations should be given to their regime, making it easier for them to coordinate with the United Nations for humanitarian aid.
Sohail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban's political office in Qatar, who has now been introduced by the Taliban as a representative of the current regime at the United Nations, said in a statement that the Taliban controlled all of Afghanistan.
He called on the international community, and in particular the United Nations, to hand over the Afghan seat to them.
He made the call while Ghulam Ishaqzai was still serving at the United Nations as a representative of Afghanistan's ousted government.
He was scheduled to speak on behalf of Afghanistan yesterday, but he declined.
The United Nations says a committee comprising nine countries decides on Afghanistan's representation in the organization. The committee may convene next month.
Sohail Shaheen said winter had arrived in Afghanistan and that it was everyone's responsibility to help deliver humanitarian aid to Afghans.
"Our embrace is open to cooperation and we are ready to work with any international humanitarian organization."
He said the Islamic Emirate ruled over all of Afghanistan and that under international law, "it is our right to be represented at the United Nations."
The Taliban are trying to gain international recognition and representation in key international organizations. But the international community has said it will recognize the Taliban regime if certain conditions are met.
The series calls on the current regime in Afghanistan to respect human rights, especially the rights of women and minorities, and to establish an inclusive government, as promised in the Doha Accords.
After the Taliban took control of Kabul, all working women were forced to stay at home, and only a handful of women returned to work in some institutions.
After a long delay, schools have reopened in Afghanistan, but the Taliban have not yet allowed middle and high school girls and female teachers to go to school.
The Taliban have said that with the right environment in place, girls' schools will be opened and women will be able to return to work.
The Taliban has also not included the Ministry of Women's Affairs in its cabinet and has allocated its building to the Ministry of Enlightenment and Prohibition of Evil.
Women have not been included in the Taliban cabinet either.
