Thousands of people around the world are protesting against the ongoing closed-door United Nations meeting about the future of Afghanistan, as fears grow that the talks could lead to the Taliban being recognized as a legitimate governing group.

Diplomats from nearly 25 countries and groups — including the US, China and Russia, as well as major European aid donors and key regional neighbors like Pakistan — are attending the two-day meeting chaired by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Taliban were not invited to attend the meeting, and they have expressed their displeasure over the exclusion.

The attendees are set to discuss key issues affecting Afghanistan, including terrorism and women’s rights, according to the UN.

After regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has cracked down on women’s access to public life, including barring them from attending universities and high schools. The group also decided last month to enforce a ban on Afghan women working for the UN, which the UN warned could force closure of their operation in Afghanistan.

However, shortly after the Taliban announced the ban, senior UN official Amina Mohammed suggested finding “baby steps” toward “recognition” of the group. Later, the UN retracted her comment and clarified that the Doha meeting is not focused on recognition.

Still, Mohammed’s comments have contributed to widespread concerns about the meeting, with critics pointing out a lack of transparency about the discussions.

Civil society groups and human rights activists highlighted their apprehensions about the possible recognition of the Taliban in an open letter to the UN shared on Sunday.

“Past experiences show that giving into the demands of such regimes by compromising on human rights will only strengthen their grip on power, and prolong the suffering of the people of Afghanistan,” the letter reads.

They also insisted that women of Afghanistan should be “meaningfully represented” in all talks regarding its future.

Videos have surfaced on social media showing women in Kabul protesting against the Taliban, holding up placards with slogans such as #NoToTaliban and #AfghanWomenLivesMatter. They can be heard chanting “Taliban recognition is a disgrace to the world” and “We will fight, we will die, but we will get our rights”.

“Taliban are terrorists and criminals,” Amiri, a protester in Kabul who is being identified by a pseudonym due to fear of retaliation from the group, told HuffPost. “The UN must not turn a blind eye to the plight of Afghan women and recognize a terrorist organisation that has no achievement except for oppressing women.”

“It’s funny that we have come to a point where the recognition of the Taliban is a topic of global discussion,” Amiri said. “In a fair world, Taliban should be brought to the International Criminal Court to face justice for the decades of crimes they have committed against the people of Afghanistan.”

Along with those in Kabul, hundreds of Afghan diaspora members and activists worldwide, including in Washington, DC, raised their voices in support.

During a press briefing at the State Department on Tuesday last week, department spokesperson Vedant Patel said the US has no intention of acknowledging the Taliban regime, and that the Taliban’s ongoing human rights violations, particularly against women and girls, are a major obstacle to its goal of being recognised internationally.