Afghan Taliban officials will be attending the upcoming COP29 climate summit in Baku, Azerbaijan, marking their first participation in a major international climate event since taking power in 2021. The Afghan Foreign Ministry announced this on Sunday, stating that representatives from the National Environmental Protection Agency had already arrived in Baku.
Despite their participation, the UN does not formally recognize the Taliban as Afghanistan’s government due to their restrictive policies on women’s rights, including education and freedom of movement. This means the officials cannot participate as full member state representatives but have been invited as observers by the host country, Azerbaijan.
Afghanistan remains severely affected by climate change, experiencing extreme droughts and flash floods that have impacted the livelihoods of many subsistence farmers. Some experts argue that international isolation only exacerbates the suffering of ordinary Afghans, who face increasing humanitarian and environmental challenges.
