The Taliban have demanded to attend the United Nations General Assembly this week in New York City.
The Taliban also nominated their Doha-based spokesperson, Suhail Shaheen, as Afghanistan’s UN ambassador.
A credentials committee, whose nine members include the US, China and Russia, will discuss the request to participate in the high-level debate, according to a UN spokesperson.
But, it is unlikely to happen during the current session of the body.
Until then, under UN rules, Ghulam Isaczai will remain Afghanistan’s ambassador to the global body.
He is going to make a speech on the final day. However the Taliban said his mission “no longer represents Afghanistan”.
No government has formally recognised the Taliban as Afghanistan’s new government and for the UN to agree to its nominee for ambassador would be an important step towards international acceptance.
The group also said that several countries no longer recognised former President Ashraf Ghani as leader.
The group has earlier declared a new cabinet with the top posts being awarded to Taliban personalities who dominated the 20-year battle against the US-led coalition and its Afghan government allies.
Mohammad Hasan Akhund will head Afghanistan’s interim government, a spokesperson for the Taliban announced.
Hasan Akhund served as foreign minister and deputy prime minister during the Taliban’s previous administrations from 1996 to 2001.
Abdul Ghani Baradar, the militant group’s co-founder, will be the new executive’s number two.
