For talks with Taliban, the U.N. Deputy Chief visits Kandahar in southern Afghanistan.

KABUL, (Reuters) – On Friday, the United Nations deputy secretary general met Kandahar deputy governor. It was a rare encounter between a foreign envoy, officials said.

Amina Mohammed, who is currently in Afghanistan, met with Taliban officials in Kabul and U.N staff to discuss ways to protect and promote women’s rights.

Her visit comes just a month following Taliban authorities’ ban on female NGO workers. Many NGOs were forced to temporarily suspend operations.

Kandahar’s information office stated that Maulvi Hayatullah Mobarak, Deputy Governor of Kandahar, had informed Mohammed that the Taliban administration desired to build strong relationships with the world. It asked that its leaders be removed and its administration allowed to send a representative the U.N.

The U.N. Mission to Afghanistan did not respond immediately to a request to confirm that the meeting was held and what was discussed.

In December, the U.N. postponed a second decision regarding whether or not the Afghan Taliban administration could send an ambassador to New York. Since its accession to power in 2021, the administration has not been officially recognized by any government.

Kandahar, which is the historical birthplace for the Taliban, is also home to its supreme spiritual leader, who is the final judge on all major decisions.

The Norwegian Refugee Council is a major aid organization that has stopped work in Afghanistan. This month, the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council stressed the importance for the international community engaging with Kandahar’s leadership. He stated that Kabul officials had indicated that orders to restrict female workers were coming from Kabul.

(Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar, Writing by Charlotte Greenfield, Editing by Alex Richardson