International Railway Organization Suspends Afghanistan's Voting Rights Over Unpaid Fees

GENEVA (Afghan Verified) -- The International Organization for Railway Transport has suspended Afghanistan's voting rights due to unpaid membership fees from 2022 and subsequent years.

The decision took effect on March 24 and will be implemented starting January 1, 2026, until the debts are settled, the organization stated. Afghanistan, which joined as the 51st member in May 2019 after acceding to the convention for international rail transport, will retain observer status. This allows participation in meetings without voting rights or involvement in the administrative committee.

Afghanistan's membership continued after the Taliban's return to power in 2021. If the dues remain unpaid for another two years, the general assembly could consider an "implicit withdrawal" and terminate membership.

Afghanistan shares a border railway with Iran, a member of the organization. It also has rail lines with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, which are not members, and no active line with Pakistan, another member.