10 Facts About Zahir Tanin

Abdul Zahir Tanin is an Afghan diplomat who served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Kosovo, and thus head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo, from October 2015 to November 2021.

Zahir Tanin became a research fellow in international relations at the London School of Economics, working there from 1994 to 1996.

Zahir Tanin then worked for eleven years at the BBC World Service.

In December 2006, Tanin was appointed as the Permanent Representative to the United Nations for the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Zahir Tanin traveled to meetings around the world to represent his country, including the Rio +20 conference in June 2012, the 4th UN Conference on Least Developed Countries in Istanbul in June 2011, and as head of delegation in LDC conferences in Lisbon in 2010, in Delhi in 2011, and the Non-Aligned Movement Ministerial Meeting in Cuba in 2009.

Zahir Tanin served as vice president of the 63rd and 65th Sessions of the General Assembly, and during the 67th session on behalf of the Asian Group as acting president.

Zahir Tanin was appointed Vice-Chair of the Open-ended Working Group and Chair of the Intergovernmental Negotiations on Security Council Reform during the 63rd General Assembly in 2008.

Zahir Tanin was reappointed to chair the ongoing negotiations during the 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th and 68th sessions.

On behalf of Afghanistan, Zahir Tanin was Vice Chair of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People from 2006 to 2015.

Zahir Tanin is married to Dr Zarghoona Zahir Tanin and they have two children.