Former Afghanistan Ambassadors to the UN in Geneva, Switzerland

  • Mr. Akbar Kherad,
  • Mr. Mohamad Nabi Amani,
  • Mr. Sheer Ahmad Nassri (Haqshinas),
  • Mr. Shamsuzzakir Kazemi,
  • Mr. Assad Omer,
  • Mr. Nanguyalai Tarzi,
  • Mr. Zalmai Aziz,
  • Mr. Nanguyalai Tarzi,
  • Ms. Suraya Dalil,

H.E. Shamsuzzakir Kazemi was a senior diplomat who served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic State of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva.
Prior his service as a head of Mission, he worked for United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) as Chief of Special Economic Unit of occupied Palestine in UN headquarter in Geneva, Switzerland (1985-97). He had also served as Interim Head of Planning and Development Division in Iraq, Head of Program Administration and Public Finance in Lebanon, and Interim Chief of Planning and Development Division in Jordan with United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UN-ESCWA) from 1977 to 82. Furthermore, he served as a Functionary or Officer at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission to deal the Economic and social case in Lebanon. Mr. Kazemi started working as responsible (charge des Affaires) for Economic Affairs at the United Nations Office for Economic and Social Affairs in Beirut in 1971.
Prior to his appointment to UN, Mr. Kazemi has served various senior government positions including Vice-President and later President of income department in Afghanistan Ministry of Finance. Prior to his service in Ministry of Finance, Mr. Kazemi was responsible for preparation and distribution (broadcasting) of English program on Radio Afghanistan and English language teaching at Habibia Lycess, Kabul.
Mr. Kazemi was born in Kabul in, had obtained his higher education in the field of economy and held a first degree in Economic and Social Science from the University of Kabul, Afghanistan. Afterword, he studied Master programme (MBA) in Banking System and Monetary Policy in American University in Beirut, Lebanon and received his PhD in economics on fiscal policy from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK in 1970.
All along his diplomatic career, Mr. Kazemi has various professional contributions including the reform of the tax system on income in Afghanistan, research on the taxation systems of Yemen, making analytical reports on the economy of the 12 countries members of Social Economic Commission for Western Asia; preparation of projects and annual reports of UNCTAD and UN-ESCWA.

H.E. Assad Omer has served numerous positions within Afghanistan’s government inside and outside of the country. H.E. Omer served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic State of Afghanistan to the United Nations in Geneva as well as Director General of the European Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan.

In 2009, H.E. Omer appointed as Director General of European Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul, Afghanistan. Prior to this, he was nominated as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to France in 2007. He also served as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic State of Afghanistan to the UN in Geneva in 2004.
H.E. Omer has joined the international civil service at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in New York (1979), and he contributed to the preparation of legal documents for technical cooperation. Afterwards, Mr. Omer served the United Nation Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in 1980, where he was assigned to positions in Technology Divisions, Trade and Investment as Director, Special Assistant to the Director, Head of the Section of Legal Policy, the Section Head of the Agreements in the field of investment and intellectual property and development programme. His major tasks consisted of support to intergovernmental deliberations, policy analysis, providing advice and assistance to the member States in the various fields of economic, trade, investment, technology transfer and intellectual property. He organized and accomplished several missions with different government in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
H.E. Omer gained his baccalaureate at the Esteqlal high school in Kabul and continued his study at the faculty of Law and Political Science, Kabul, Afghanistan. He has also pursued gradate studies at the Law faculty of the University of Fribourg. He obtained the degree of Doctor of Laws at the Graduate Institute of International Studies (HEL), Faculty of Laws of the University of Geneva. He served as a researcher from 1978 to 1979. Dr. Omer has taught at several European Universities, and he is the author of several articles and books on issues related to economic development and integration of developing countries into the world economy. He received the honour of the French Republic; Officer of the National Order of Merit. Dr. Omer speaks Dari, Pashto, English and French.

H.E. Nanguyalai Tarzi was a senior diplomat, former Ambassador of Afghanistan to Switzerland, and Permanent Representative to the United Nations office in Geneva. H.E Tarzi served as Ambassador of Afghanistan to India, Pakistan, Iran, Sri Lanka, and the United States. He also served as Deputy and Desk Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Dr Tarzi has become Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations office and other International Organisations based in Geneva twice; first time from 2007 to 2010 and then from 2012 to 2015. Tarzi was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to India and Non-Resident Ambassador to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka from 2010 to 2012. He began working as an Ambassador after the fall of the Taliban regime and was appointed as Afghanistan Ambassador to Pakistan from 2002 to 2007.
Prior to his service as Ambassador, Dr. Tarzi served as Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Tehran, Iran between 2001 - 2002. He severed as Permanent Observer at the United Nations Industrial Development Organization between 1997 - 2000. Dr Tarzi has played an essential role in the establishment of Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Office in Geneva and served as Permanent Observer (1992 - 2000); as Deputy Political Observer and Permanent Political Observer United Nations (1979 - 1986) of the Organization of the Islamic Conference to United Nations headquarter, New York and Geneva Office. From 1973 to 1977, Dr. Tarzi worked as Second Secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Washington DC, the United States. He began his career as Chief of Department of Information in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul.
Nanguyalai Tarzi was born December 27, 1949 in Kabul. He is the Afghan Pashtun Barakzai Dynasty descendent. Tarzi graduated from Kabul University with a degree in Law and Diplomatic Relations in 1964 and went on to complete a doctorate in International Public Law at the Faculte de Droit et Sciences Economiques in Paris, France in 1970. Tarzi speaks English, French, Pashtu and Dari.

Zalmai Aziz was a senior diplomat and the former Ambassador of Afghanistan to the United Nations Office in Geneva, and Ambassador to Switzerland. He was the former Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation and the former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan.

In September 2010, Mr. Aziz was appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and Ambassador to Switzerland. He was a member of the Council of Foundation of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining. Prior to his service in Geneva, Mr. Aziz served as the Ambassador of Afghanistan to the Russian Federation and also concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to the Republic of Moldova, Georgia, the Republic of Belarus and the Republic of Armenia between 2007 - 2009.
After 28 years living aboard, H.E. Aziz returned to Afghanistan at the request of the Afghan Government and resumed at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2002. He initially served as the director of the UN Department and then as a Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs in 2003. He has participated in many bilateral and multilateral negotiations and has led Afghanistan’s delegations to a number of international conferences.
Zalmai Aziz begun his diplomatic career in 1968 when he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan. He had worked in a number of Ministry of Foreign Affairs departments and Missions abroad including as a second secretary at the Afghanistan Embassy in Warsaw, Poland in 70s and at the Permanent Mission of Afghanistan to the United Nations in New York in 80s.
Zalmai Aziz was born in Kabul on June 22, 1939. Aziz studied International Relations, graduating with honours.

Suraya Dalil studied Medicine at the Kabul Medical Institute in Afghanistan and received a Master degree in Public Health from the Harvard University, Boston, United States.

Prior to her appointment as Permanent Representative of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations based in Geneva, Dr. Dalil had been serving as the Minister of Public Health of Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan from March 2012 to December 2014, after serving as the Acting Minister from January 2010 to February 2012. From 1994 to 2009, Dr. Dalil worked with UNICEF in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nairobi, covering Somalia. Dr. Dalil worked with the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and Medicines Sans Frontiers (MSF) in Afghanistan.

Dr. Dalil with her proven leadership and political skills, has  profound experience with the United Nations and International Organisations both at the international level and in Afghanistan. She has a deep commitment and personal passion to women's empowerment, international diplomacy, human rights and development. Previously she had demonstrated strong ability in leading a diverse team to reform health system with improved quality of care and evident impact. She is the author of several publications written both in Dari and English.

Dr. Dalil was born in Kabul Afghanistan in February 1970, married and has three children.