A UN conference to discuss the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan is underway in Qatar. A key issue is the appointment of a special envoy to the country. A senior Taliban official told NHK the group won't accept such a mediator.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is hosting the two-day meeting that started Sunday in Doha. The Taliban interim government was invited for the first time, along with delegates from UN member states. But the group stayed away, saying conditions for its participation were not met.

The Taliban official said the group thinks a UN envoy would try to interfere in Afghanistan. Muhammad Suhail Shaheen, head of the group's political office in Doha, said: "The question is why there is a need for a special envoy. There is suspicion that the new special envoy may impose some decisions on Afghanistan."

He said Afghanistan wants to build a normal relationship with the international community. He called for the interim government to be recognized and sanctions to be lifted.

The plight of women and girls in the country has been worsening. The international community has urged the Taliban to improve their lives.

Aoki Kenta, executive research fellow at Middle East Institute of Japan, said the Taliban need to be told that women's education is necessary for Afghanistan's development. He said the dialogue with the interim government should be held in a way that shows "foreigners are not forcing something on them."

The Taliban have been governing Afghanistan with their strict interpretation of Islamic law since they retook power in 2021. The group has rejected calls from abroad to improve the human rights situation as interference in internal affairs.