Activities of Secretary-General in Qatar, 17-20 February
On his way from Germany to Ethiopia, the plane carrying Secretary-General António Guterres and his team was diverted to Greece due to a technical fault. The Secretary-General was unable to attend the African Union Summit and proceeded to Doha the following day, 17 February, to host the follow-up meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan. This took place on 18 and 19 February.
During the meeting, the participants discussed how to approach increasing international engagement in a more coherent, coordinated and structured manner. This included discussions of the recommendations of the Independent Assessment, mandated by the Security Council and led by the Special Coordinator appointed by the Secretary-General, Feridun Sinirlioğlu, as well as the way forward.
Speaking to the media after his final session, the Secretary-General said the participants agreed they want an Afghanistan in peace — peace with itself and peace with its neighbours. He described a consensus among participants on the vision of an Afghanistan with inclusive institutions, in which its diverse groups all feel represented. There was also a consensus on the concerns about respect for human rights, and in particular the respect for the rights of women and girls.
The Secretary-General also said the Special Envoys agreed to continue holding these meetings at different levels, adding that he hopes the de facto authorities will join the discussions in the future.
On Monday, 19 February, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim al-Thani. He thanked Qatar for hosting the meeting of Special Envoys on Afghanistan and also expressed his deep appreciation for the country’s continued mediation role regarding the expansion of humanitarian aid to Gaza, an interruption of hostilities and the release of hostages.
The Secretary-General travelled back to New York early on Tuesday, 20 February.