His Excellency April 2015 Zahir Tanin
Ambassador Extraordinary and WHO WE ARE
Plenipotentiary Permanent The Office of International Representative of Afghanistan to Affairs & Diplomacy actively the United Nations supports UVU’s global engage- ment efforts by advancing UVU’s presence and prestige in H.E. Dr. Zahir Tanin is the Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the International community; Representative of the Islamic Republic Ambassador Tanin worked for eleven helping UVU students become of Afghanistan to the United Nations. years with the BBC World Service as a He presented his Credentials to H.E. Producer from 1995 to 2000, as a globally competent graduates; Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary-General of Senior Producer from 2000 to 2001, as promoting cultural literacy and the United Nations on 19 December an editor for BBC World Service, diversity both on campus and in 2006. Afghanistan and Central the community. During his tenure as Asia from 2001 to 2003 Permanent Repre- and as an Editor for sentative, he also Afghanistan of the BBC served in a number of “Increasingly, Afghanistan Persian/Pashto Section other capacities from 2003 to 2006. finds itself in the middle of within the United world events, and political Ambassador Tanin is a Nations including as a graduate of Kabul Medical unrest. Ambassador Zahir Vice-President of the University. He began his 63rd and 65th Tanin will offer his insights career in 1980 working as CONTACT US Sessions of the into the ‘New Imperatives a journalist in Kabul. He General Assembly and and Challenges in was Editor-in-Chief of Office of International Affairs currently during the Afghanistan.’ Our students Akhbar-e-Haftah and 800 West University Parkway 67th session on behalf will benefit greatly from our Sabawoon Magazine until MS 263 of the Asian Group. guest's expertise " 1992 and served as the Ambassador Tanin Vice President of the Jour- Orem, UT 84058 served as acting Presi- Associate Vice President nalist Union of Afghanistan dent several times for UVU International from 1987-1992. He co- Phone: 801-863-7191 including during High Affairs & Diplomacy, Rusty authored The Communist E-mail: [email protected] Level General Butler Regime in Afghanistan, a Assembly Sessions. study of the political and www.uvu.edu/intlaffairs Ambassador Tanin social changes in was appointed Vice- Afghanistan from 1978 to Chair of the Open- 1992. He also authorized ended Working Group and Chair of the Afghanistan in the Twentieth Century. Intergovernmental Negotiations (IGN) His corresponding landmark 29-part on Security Council Reform during the program, The Oral History of 63rd General Assembly in 2008. He Afghanistan in the 20th Century, was was reappointed to chair the ongoing broadcast on the BBC. negotiations during the 64th, 65th, Ambassador Tanin is married to Dr. 66th, 67th and 68th sessions. Before Zarghoona Tanin and has two children. his appointment as Permanent
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
Afghanistan
Afghanistan officially the Islamic Republic THE FLAG OF of Afghanistan is a landlocked country in Afghanistan Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran. Afghanistan is the world’s 41st largest country (249,984 sq.mi - 647,500 km²). The population of Afghanistan is 31,822,848 (July 2014 est.) The dominant ethnic group in Afghanistan is Pashtun - 42%, Tajik 27%, Hazara 9%, Uzbek 9%, Aimak 4%, Turkmen 3%, Baloch 2%, and other 4% HISTORY The most spread religion in Afghanistan Buzkashi is a national sport in The flag of Afghanistan was adopted is Islam: Sunni Muslim - 80%, Shia Afghanistan. It is similar to polo and by the transitional government of Muslim - 19%, other 1% played by horsemen in two teams, each Transitional Islamic State of Burqa (common in Afghanistan ) is a type trying to grab the goat carcass. Afghanistan in 2002–2004. This flag is of veil and body covering that conceals The Naan bread or Afghan bread is one similar to the one flown in Afghanistan all of a woman's body Including the eyes. during the monarchy between 1930 of the tasty breads made in and 1973. The difference is the Afghanistan, it is always part of the addition of the shahadah at the top of meal & is made of chapatti flour (finely the coat-of-arms in the center. The milled whole-wheat flour). new flag was adopted January 4. 2004. Afghanistan’s natural resources include This flag consists of three stripes of the gold, silver, copper, zinc and iron ore in colors black, red, and green. This has the southeastern areas; precious and been present on most flags of semi-precious stones such as lapis, Afghanistan in the last twenty years. emerald and azure in the north-east of The center emblem is the classical the country. emblem of Afghanistan with a mosque Afghanistan is a mountainous country The official language is Afghan Persian or with its mihrab facing Mecca. with the highest point Nowshak at Dari - 50%. Turkic languages such as Afghanistan has had more changes of 7,485 m (24,557 ft) above sea level. Uzbek and Turkmen are second popular its national flag during the twentieth Large parts of Afghanistan are dry , and languages - 11%. There are 30 minor century than any other country in the fresh water supplies are limited. The languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) world. country has a continental climate with that make up 4%. .The hot summers and cold wintersدا افغانستان اسالمی دولت" " Afghanistan’s economy is still recovering Islamic State of Afghanistan has been from the decades of conflict. The econo- "افغانستان" replaced with simply my has improved significantly since the Afghanistan in the newest flag. fall of the Taliban regime in 2001
Information gathered from: wikipedia.com, The culture of Afghans expresses pride cia.gov. in the religion, country, ancestry, and
above all, their independence