Taliban delegation in Switzerland to discuss humanitarian issues
The Swiss NGO Geneva Call invited a delegation from the Taliban movement, who are sanctioned by the United Nations for terrorist activities, to the Swiss city of Geneva to discuss humanitarian issues. The NGO claims to be the only organisation dedicated solely to promoting a change in the behaviour of armed groups towards civilians, as well as the promotion of international humanitarian law. According to the Swiss press agency ATS Keystone, the Afghan delegation is led by Mufti Latifullah Hakimi, a senior official in the Ministry of Defence and head of the Movement's Commission for the Identification of Abuses.
The Taliban have been in the country since last Sunday, with the aim of holding talks with Swiss officials and NGOs, following the established agenda of talks. The delegation's presence in the European country has been endorsed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. "The Foreign Ministry confirms that a Taliban delegation is in Geneva at the invitation of an NGO seeking to improve compliance with humanitarian norms and principles," said Eliza Raggi, a spokesperson for the ministry. In addition to the talks, according to Swiss official sources, the Taliban will receive training on respect for humanitarian norms and principles.
The Swiss Department has also stated that the meetings will take place in a "confidential" location and will be private meetings, where the government is not the main "organiser" of the Asian country's visit, as well as its position on the non-recognition or legitimisation of the Taliban as rulers of Afghanistan, "their presence in Switzerland is not equivalent to legitimisation or recognition of the Taliban". However, a meeting between the Taliban delegation and the Department itself is scheduled for later this week, Raggi revealed. The Taliban will therefore hold talks with members of various NGOs such as Geneva Call and the Red Cross, as well as representatives of the Swiss Foreign Ministry.
The Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said that the delegation "will discuss humanitarian access to populations in need, the protection of humanitarian actors and respect for human rights". With a greater emphasis on the rights of women and minorities, as well as the protection of children in situations of armed conflict and the management of land contaminated by mines. Afghanistan is one of the countries with the highest number of landmines in the world and the highest number of people killed or maimed by landmines.
This visit by the Taliban is not their first. At the end of January, another Taliban delegation was present in Oslo for diplomatic meetings, although this time they were invited by the Norwegian government. During the visit, a number of issues were discussed, such as the food crisis in the country and the vulnerable human rights situation. Afghanistan is in a very fragile and unstable situation as a result of armed conflict, extreme weather conditions and the problems caused by the coronavirus pandemic. "Today 23 million Afghans are at risk of malnutrition, and the vast majority of Afghans live below the poverty line," according to UN figures.
Since the fall of President Ashraf Ghani on 15 August, the Taliban movement seized power after two decades of armed conflict with the government, supported by the United States and other NATO allies, which has plunged the country into chaos. In early September, the Taliban set up an interim government, half of whose members are on the UN Security Council's sanctions list.