Nanguyalai Tarzi

Nanguyalai Tarzi (, ; born 28 December 1940) – is a former senior Afghan diplomat who was the Afghan Ambassador to Switzerland and Permanent Representative to the United Nations office and other international organisations in Geneva. Tarzi has been the Ambassador of Afghanistan to India, and before that he was Permanent Representative to United Nations at Geneva and Afghan Ambassador to Switzerland, Ambassador of Afghanistan to Pakistan and Director of the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) in Tehran, Iran. From 1980s to 1990s, Tarzi was Permanent Observer of Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to the United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland and United Nations, Vienna, Austria and Senior Political Adviser and Deputy Permanent Observer of OIC to the United Nations, New York, United States of America. In the 1970s, Tarzi was the Afghan diplomat in Washington D.C., United States of America.

1960–70: Education and academic life Tarzi was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, son of the late Mohammad Seddiq Tarzi. Tarzi is member of the prominent Afghan Tarzi family and is mentioned as notable member on the website of the Tarzi Family Historical Society.

Tarzi began his education at the Lycée Esteqlal school in Kabul. He graduated from Kabul University with distinction degree in Law and Diplomatic Relations in 1964. He completed a doctorate in Sorbonne University in International Public Law at the Faculté de Droit et sciences économiques in Paris, France in 1970. His doctorate thesis: “Les Relation Afghano-Russes”. Avec mention “Trés bien”, was a candidate for the Best Thesis of 1970. Tarzi began his career as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Law and Political Science in Kabul University from December 1964 to June 1970.

Tarzi is proficient in Dari (Persian), Pashto, French and English and has a basic knowledge of Arabic.

1970–2002: Diplomat and international organizations Tarzi's diplomatic career began in June 1970 by working for the Department of Information in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul. From December 1973 until November 1977, Tarzi was Second Secretary of the Afghan Embassy in Washington D.C. to the United States of America. Then from December 1977 to November 1978, Tarzi was Deputy of Department of International Financial & Economic Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kabul, Afghanistan.

In 1980, after the Communists had seized power in Afghanistan, Tarzi began working as International Civil Servant Diplomat for Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). From November 1979 until September 1986, Tarzi was the Senior Political Adviser at the Office of the Permanent Observer Mission of OIC to the United Nations, New York, United States of America. From November 1986 to November 1992, Tarzi was Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Observer of OIC to the United Nations, New York, United States of America.

In 1992, Tarzi established the first office of OIC in Geneva. From November 1992 to January 2000, Tarzi was Ambassador, Permanent Observer of OIC to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva. Simultaneously, from August 1997 to January 2000, Tarzi was Ambassador, Permanent Observer of OIC to United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations in Vienna, Austria.

In January 2001 to November 2002, Tarzi became Director of the United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) in Tehran, Iran.

2002–2015: Afghan Ambassador In 2002, after the fall of the Taliban Regime in Afghanistan, Tarzi was appointed as Afghan Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Pakistan, from February 2003 to December 2006. As Ambassador to Pakistan, Tarzi was member of a Tripartite Commission, composed of senior military and diplomatic representatives from Afghanistan, Pakistan and the United States of America.

From January 2007 to September 2010, Tarzi became Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations office and other International Organisations based in Geneva. Simultaneously, from June 2007 till September 2010, Tarzi was Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Switzerland.

From January 2011 to May 2013, Tarzi served as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to India and Non-Resident Ambassador to Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

In June 2013 to October 2015, Tarzi became Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to the United Nations office and other International Organisations and Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan to Switzerland in Geneva.

Diplomatic record Date Representing Position Mission 2013–2015 Afghanistan Ambassador Geneva, Switzerland 2013–2015 Afghanistan Permanent Representative United Nations at Geneva 2011–2013 Afghanistan Ambassador and Non-Resident Ambassador New Delhi, India and Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka 2007–2010 Afghanistan Ambassador Geneva, Switzerland 2007–2010 Afghanistan Permanent Representative United Nations at Geneva 2003–2006 Afghanistan Ambassador Islamabad, Pakistan 2000–2003 United Nations Information Centres (UNIC) Director Tehran, Iran 1992–2000 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador and Permanent Observer United Nations at Geneva and United Nations at Vienna 1986–1992 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Observer New York, United Nations 1980–1986 Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Senior Political Adviser New York, United Nations 1977–1978 Afghanistan Deputy Head of International Financial and Economic Relations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kabul, Afghanistan 1973–1977 Afghanistan Second Secretary Washington D.C., United States of America 1970-1973 Afghanistan Desk Officer, Department of Information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs Kabul, Afghanistan