Zahir Faqiri is a Research Associate at the Institute of Asian Research and the School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. He is a distinguished academic and practitioner diplomat with expertise in international relations, regional governance and global governance within the framework of United Nations platforms. Zahir has visited over 51 countries as part of summits, international and regional conferences to facilitate peace, stability, sustainable developments, water and energy management, and good governance etc. His training includes diplomatic courses on global governance, global regional cooperation (Indian Foreign Service Institute), good governance and the role regional and international organizations (Germany Foreign Service Institute), public policy, local, regional, and global governance (Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy, Singapore). He speaks English, Farsi, French, Pashto, Urdu and Hindi.

Zahir’s diplomatic career has included significant leadership positions; he served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations in New York from mid-2010 to 2013. This role required him to represent Afghanistan at the United Nations high-level platforms including the UN General Assembly (UNGA), the UN Security Council, as well as other UN specialized agencies. He participated and contributed in discussions on variety range of UN related issues including human rights and women rights, sustainable development, climate change, peace and security, and other global challenges. He also served as an alternate Vice-President of UN General Assembly in 2012, with responsibilities including moderating discussions and ensuring the smooth conduct of sessions.

As part of his portfolio as the deputy head of Afghanistan mission to the UN, Zahir oversaw the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), including UNSC reform process, focusing on issues related to international peace and security and human rights issues. This role involved attending UNSC sessions and actively contributed to discussions on international peace and security, conflict resolution, peace building and peacekeeping missions. His portfolio also included representing Afghanistan at periodic reporting sessions of the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW).

In his capacity as deputy head of the mission he served as the Chairman of the Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDC) group at the United Nations in 2012, a position that allowed him to coordinate efforts among 31 member states to advocate for better access to global trade and development opportunities. As the chairperson, he liaised  with key UN bodies to promote policies for the economic integration of LLDCs into the global economy. These efforts helped to raise awareness about the unique challenges faced by landlocked countries and advocated for policy changes that would improve their access to markets and resources.

In 2015, Zahir was appointed as Minister Plenipotentiary and Deputy Ambassador of Afghanistan to Washington, D.C. In this capacity, he represented Afghanistan in a wide range of high-level bilateral and multilateral formats, with a particular focus on the World Bank, IMF and USAID focusing on good governance, the rule of law, health, education, rural development, and public financial management. He worked closely with Afghanistan’s development partners to foster institutional legitimacy and capacity-building, aimed at ensuring equitable service delivery, promoting inclusive growth, job creation, and poverty reduction.

He has led the supervision of several large-scale energy infrastructure projects in partnership with the World Bank, including CASA-1000, a key electricity transmission initiative connecting Central and South Asia. This project aimed to serve as a critical pillar of regional energy cooperation, with the potential to substantially improve energy access and stimulate economic development throughout the region. Furthermore, he played an instrumental role in advancing the TAPI energy pipeline negotiation, a multilateral project linking Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India, as well as the TUTAP electricity project, which involves Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. These initiatives are integral to enhancing regional stability, energy security, and economic growth, underscoring the importance of cross-border collaboration in addressing shared energy challenges. As the Deputy head of the embassy, he also oversaw public relations diplomacy, managing interactions with prominent academic institutions such as Columbia, Georgetown, Emory and Washington universities

Zahir has delivered guest lectures at numerous think tanks and institutions which promote dialogue on international, regional, and bilateral relations between Afghanistan and the United States. He has held leadership positions with in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan, including General Director of Media and Communication, Spokesman of the MoFA. He also served as Deputy Head of the Economic Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan from 2008 to 2009, where he played a key role in promoting regional economic cooperation and regional governance. He actively engaged in the initiatives such as the One Road One built (New Silk Road) and the Heart of Asia process, aiming to enhance stability, security, and prosperity in the region. In his capacity as the deputy head of the economic division, he actively engaged with regional organizations such as Asian Development Bank, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), and the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), to strengthen regional ties and promote sustainable economic development, accelerating regional connectivity and advancing economic growth and social progress across Central and South Asia. His work involved coordinating projects aimed at improving trade relations, enhancing infrastructure, and fostering cultural exchange within the region.

From 2004 to 2007 he served as the Deputy Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific organizations (UNESCO) in Paris, where he attended numerous UNESCO’s General Conference sessions and worked closely with the Cultural and Education Commissions. His portfolio included representing Afghanistan in numerous UNESCO’s committees and commissions, preparing analytical reports, coordinating with Afghanistan’s sectoral ministries. In 2005, he had the privilege of serving as Afghanistan alternate representative to UNESCO’s Executive Board. Throughout his career, he has remained committed in promoting sustainable development, good governance, regional and international cooperations through people to people talk, dialogue and co-existence. His goal has always been to build stronger, more resilient systems that empower nations and individuals to thrive in an interconnected and rapidly changing world. He continues to be driven by a belief in the power of collaboration, dialogue, and innovative thinking of having a peaceful world.