Afghanistan to not address UN General Assembly Monday

Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, Ghulam M. Isaczai speaks during a UN security council meeting on Afghanistan on August 16, 2021 at the United Nations in New York [TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images]

No representative from Afghanistan will address the UN General Assembly on Monday, according to a report, Anadolu Agency reported.

Afghanistan’s current UN Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, who represents the former government before the Taliban takeover, had been due to speak to world leaders later in the day.

But Isaczai’s staff told the General Assembly that he would not be addressing at the 76th session, CNN reported, citing UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

Last week, the Taliban sent a letter to the UN requesting to attend General Assembly meetings and nominated spokesman Suhail Shaheen as a UN ambassador.

Amid disputes over who will represent Afghanistan at the international body, the Taliban said in the letter addressed to the office of the UN secretary-general that it should be represented at the UN, not by the ambassador under former President Ashraf Ghani’s government.

The letter was signed by Ameer Khan Muttaqi as the foreign minister and requested to participate in the 76th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 21-27.

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