Third Private Sector Working Group Meeting of Doha Process Held in Kabul

The third meeting of the Private Sector Working Group under the Doha Process was held in Kabul, hosted by the deputy mission of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

The Taliban Foreign Ministry stated that the meeting took place at the Kabul Hotel, with participants including representatives from its ministries of foreign affairs, finance, industry and commerce, economy, labor and social affairs, and the central bank, alongside UNAMA, relevant UN agencies, international and regional organizations, ambassadors, and experts from various countries.

According to the ministry, the meeting consisted of two parts: growth and inclusion, and coordination and transparency. Participants emphasized greater coordination and proposed solutions to existing challenges.

Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban Foreign Ministry, said the meeting featured two sections, with Taliban representatives sharing achievements and progress since the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. He added that participants appreciated these efforts, recalled their own cooperation in supporting the private sector, and expressed commitment to continued collaboration.

UNAMA stated that the discussions covered alternative livelihoods for former poppy farmers, job creation, and women's participation in the private sector, while determining priorities for sustainable engagement with the Afghan people. The narcotics working group addressed efforts by de facto authorities and the international community to support alternative livelihoods, prevent and treat drug abuse, and pursue legal measures against drug production and trafficking. The private sector group examined initiatives for employment and entrepreneurship, particularly women's involvement, market integration, and access to financial and banking infrastructure.

Some Kabul residents, particularly women, expressed concerns that such meetings sideline key challenges. Zainab, a Kabul resident, said the Doha Process initially focused on women's human rights but now appears to whitewash issues for institutional interests.

This follows last week's fourth narcotics working group meeting hosted by UNAMA in Kabul. The Doha Process, launched by the UN in 2023, provides a structured platform for dialogue between the international community and Taliban authorities on humanitarian, economic, and counter-narcotics issues, amid the lack of official recognition. The meetings came after a recent visit by Rosemary DiCarlo, UN deputy secretary-general for political and peacebuilding affairs, who met senior Taliban officials including Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.