The Taliban nominated Soheil Shahin as its representative to the UN General Assembly.
According to the Pak Sahafat news agency: The Taliban has named one of its spokesmen, Soheil Shahin, as its representative to the United Nations, following a request from the UN Secretary-General to attend the UN General Assembly.
In a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Mottaqi named Shaheen as the Taliban’s representative to the organization and called for him to address the General Assembly.
In addition to the Taliban, Ghulam Ishaqozi, the former Afghan government representative to the United Nations, has submitted a list to the UN Secretary-General to attend.
UN spokesman Stephen Dujarric acknowledged that in the event of a dispute over UN seats, the 9-member General Assembly’s credentials committee should convene to decide, and both letters have now been sent to the committee. The committee includes Russia, China, the United States, Sweden, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Chile, Bhutan and the Bahamas.
Reuters wrote: The committee is unlikely to convene before the end of the UN General Assembly; thus, it is unlikely that the Taliban representative will address the General Assembly.
The Afghan representative is scheduled to deliver his final speech on the last day of the assembly meeting on September 27 (Monday, October 26), and Gholam Ishaqozi will likely be present as Afghanistan’s representative if the credential committee does not decide.
The acceptance of the Taliban ambassador by the United Nations is an important step in their efforts to gain international recognition, which could help free up Afghanistan’s frozen assets and receive international aid.
Guterres recently said that the Taliban’s desire for international recognition is the only lever for pressure from other countries on the Taliban to establish an inclusive government and respect for human rights.