| H.E. Zahir Tanin | |
|---|---|
| Permanent Representative to the United Nations for Afghanistan | |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office December 2006 |
|
| Preceded by | Ravan A. G. Farhâdi |
| Vice President to the United Nations General Assembly | |
| In office September 2008 – September 2009 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | May 1, 1956 |
H.E. Dr. Zahir Tanin (Persian: ظاهر طنين), born on 1 May 1956, is the Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. He presented his Credentials to H.E. Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations on 19 December 2006.
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Mr. Tanin is a graduate of the Kabul Medical University. He has completed BBC broadcasting, media management, finance management and other courses, including a one-year BBC leadership program.[1]
Tanin began his career in 1980 working as a journalist in Kabul. He co-authored, The Communist Regime in Afghanistan, a study of the political and social changes in Afghanistan from 1978 to 1992. He also authored, Afghanistan in the Twentieth Century. He produced a 29-part program, The Oral History of Afghanistan in the 20th Century, that was later broadcast on the BBC.
After 1992, Tanin was a freelance writer in France and Editor-in-Chief of Afkbar-e-Haftah and Sabawoon Magazine until 1993. Before beginning a career at the BBC, he was at the London School of Economics and Political Science, where he was a Research Fellow at the International Relations Department from 1994 to 1995.[1]
Mr. Tanin worked as BBC Television Producer from 1995 to 2000 and as Senior Producer from 2000 to 2001. From 2001 to 2003 he was an editor for BBC World Service, Afghanistan and Central Asia (Persian Section). Following this he was an editor for Persian/Pashto Section, in Afghanistan from 2003 to 2006, before taking his appointment as Permanent Representative to the United Nations and succeeding Ravan Farhadi, who had been permanent representative to the UN for more than ten years.
During his tenure at the United Nations, Ambassador Tanin has held a number of other positions in the Organization. He was elected as one of the Vice Presidents of the UN General Assembly during the 63rd session, and in that capacity he has chaired a number of General Assembly plenaries on behalf of the President of the General Assembly, including part of the 2008 High Level Meeting on Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue. Tanin has taken the position of Vice-president for a year, which began September 2008.[2] Each year the U.N. General Assembly elects a new President, 21 Vice Presidents, and Chairmen for the Assembly's six main committees.[3]
Ambassador Tanin also chairs the Intergovernmental Negotiations on UN Security Council Reform.UN General Assembly President Miguel D'Escoto selected Tanin to jump start the stalled Security Council reform process, which got underway some 16 years ago.[4] Ambassador Tanin was reappointed to chair the ongoing negotiations during the 64th, 65th and now the 66th session of the General Assembly in 2011.
Although, according to Tanin, in the last years, Afghanistan has made significant steps forward, he stressed that Afghanistan needs the partnership of the United States for more years to come.[5] Although Tanin is a supporter of the American presence in Afghanistan, he also expressed grave concern about Afghan civilian casualties as a result of the ongoing conflict .[6]
Tanin has taken a more willing position towards a process of reconciliation among all citizens and an integration of former combatants.[7][8]
As Vice Chair of the Committee for the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian Committee since 2006, Ambassador Tanin has been involved in talks about creating a Palestinian State. According to him any agreement that does not make East Jerusalem the capital of a future Palestinian State will not lead to sustainable peace.[9]
Tanin is married with two children.[1] He holds a British passport.[10]
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