Afghanistan's Taliban To Attend COP29 Summit In Azerbaijan Next Week: Report

Taliban's attendance at the climate summit comes even as the UN has not allowed the Taliban to take up Afghanistan's seat at the General Assembly.

The Taliban government in Afghanistan will attend the UN Climate Change Conference in Baku in a first since coming into power in 2021, news agency Reuters reported on Sunday.

The COP29 climate summit, which starts next week, will be among the highest-profile multilateral events attended by the Taliban government ever since coming into power.

The attendance at the climate summit comes even as the UN has not allowed the Taliban to take up Afghanistan's seat at the General Assembly. The UN member countries have also not recognised the UN member states due to the ban's restrictions on women's education, the report said.

Afghan Foreign Ministry spokesperson Abdul Qahar Balkhi said officials from the National Environmental Protection Agency had reached Azerbaijan to attend the summit.

The Taliban officials have taken part in the UN-organised meetings on Afghanistan in Doha. The officials have attended meetings in China and Central Asia in the past two years.

Afghanistan is considered one of the countries worst affected by climate change. Hundreds of people have been killed in flash floods this year. 

Thousands of people from around the world are set to gather for the COP29 summit in Azerbaijan's capital Baku. Around 200 countries will gather next week for the UN climate summit, including US, China, the European Union, UK and India. 

As world leaders and climate negotiators converge in Baku, India is set to bring renewed focus to the urgent need for climate finance, accountability, and protection for vulnerable communities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the conference, and Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav may also be absent. 

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh will lead the 19-member delegation instead.India's national statement is scheduled for November 18-19.

India's key priorities at the conference are likely to focus on ensuring accountability of developed nations on climate finance, strengthening resilience for vulnerable communities, and achieving an equitable energy transition, experts anticipate.