A UN conference to discuss the situation in Afghanistan starts Sunday in Qatar. Representatives of the Taliban are set to take part in the meeting for the first time.

UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo will chair the talks in Doha. Officials in charge of Afghan issues from European countries, the US and Japan are expected to join. It's the third such gathering of these special envoys.

Senior Taliban officials say they will attend, including spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.

In Afghanistan, the Islamist group is tightening restrictions on female rights. Girls are only allowed to go to elementary school.

At the upcoming two-day talks, there reportedly won't be seats at the table for Afghan women. Human Rights Watch commented, "Those most impacted by Taliban abuses are being sidelined and excluded from talking about their fate by the UN."

Aoki Kenta, executive research fellow at the Middle East Institute of Japan, said improving the human rights situation in Afghanistan won't be easy, pointing out the Taliban won't sign up to policies that might be seen as a concession to the West. He said: "I think the meeting should first create a foundation for talks with the Taliban. Without raising expectations too much, the discussions should move forward one step at a time by changing the forms of meetings or including human rights issues on the agenda."

Aoki stressed the importance of continuing engagement between the international community and the Taliban.