Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has chosen not to meet with Taliban officials attending the UN climate summit, Cop29, in Baku, Azerbaijan. This marks the Taliban’s first appearance at the climate forum since seizing control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
A Number 10 spokeswoman confirmed there are “no plans” for Sir Keir to engage with the Afghan delegation, emphasizing that summit attendance is determined by organizers. She highlighted the event’s aim to foster global climate action, noting that delegates from 96 nations are working to address pressing climate issues.
Despite lacking formal recognition by the UN and international community due to human rights violations, the Taliban’s National Environmental Protection Agency officials arrived in Baku as observers. The UN has consistently withheld Afghanistan’s official seat from the Taliban-led government, backing appointees from the former Ashraf Ghani administration.
The Afghan representatives are permitted only limited participation, with no role in main proceedings. According to diplomatic sources, they may hold informal talks on the sidelines but cannot fully engage with member states. Only in isolated dialogues on Afghanistan’s future, like recent discussions in Doha, has the UN formally included Taliban officials.
Afghanistan faces severe climate challenges, including deadly floods and droughts that have devastated agriculture and worsened economic hardships. Amid the climate summit, the nation’s vulnerability to environmental disasters underscores the challenges faced by one of the world’s poorest populations amid ongoing international isolation.
