Ambassador Zamir Akram is currently Advisor to the Strategic Plans Division, Government of Pakistan. As Pakistan’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN and other International Organizations in Geneva since 2008 to 2015, he played a leading role in Disarmament, Human Rights and Humanitarian Affairs, among other issues.

In 2015, he was elected as Chair-Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Right to Development. In 2017, he was awarded the Star of Merit by the State of Palestine in recognition for his support and solidarity with the Palestinian people while he served as Coordinator of the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) group in the Human Rights Council. Prior to this role, he served as Additional Foreign Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office where he was responsible for Pakistan’s Foreign and Security policies from 2004 to 2008.

He joined the Pakistan Foreign Service in 1978 and has served in the (former) Soviet Union, India, the United States, and the United Nations. He has dealt with key issues including Kashmir, Afghanistan, nuclear disarmament, human rights and counterterrorism in his career. He continues to write articles for major Pakistani newspapers and international journals covering these issues and has authored the book titled “The Security Imperative – Pakistan’s Nuclear Deterrence and Diplomacy”.

Ambassador Akram holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also served as the Honorary Dean of the Geneva School of Diplomacy in 2010, where he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate.