In
the past two decades, Ambassador Zarif has played an active role in the United
Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of the Islamic
Conference. He was appointed by the UN Secretary-General as a
member of the Group of Eminent Persons on Dialogue among Civilizations. He has
also served as chairman of numerous international conferences including UNESCO's Culture Commission (2007), the United
Nations Disarmament Commission (2000), Sixth (Legal) Committee of the 47th
United Nations General Assembly (1992-93), Political Committee of the12th
Non-Aligned Summit in Durban (1998), and the OIC High-Level Committee on
Dialogue among Civilizations. He also served as the President of the Asian
African Legal Consultative Committee from 1997 to 1998.
Javad Zarif holds a Ph.D. in International Law and Policy from the Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver. In addition to his diplomatic responsibilities, he has been a Visiting Professor of International Law at University of Tehran, where he has taught human rights, international law and multilateral diplomacy.
Zarif has served on the board of editors of a number of scholarly journals, including the Iranian Journal of International Affairs and Iranian Foreign Policy and has written extensively on disarmament, human rights, international law, and regional conflicts. His writings include "Tackling the Iran - U.S. Crisis," Columbia University Journal of International Affairs, Spring-Summer 2007; “Indispensable Power: Hegemonic Tendencies in a Globalized World,” Harvard International Review, Winter 2003; “Reflections of Terrorism, Dialogue and Global Ethics,” Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, Winter 2002; "Impermissibility of the Use or Threat of Use of Nuclear Weapons", Iranian Journal of International Affairs, 1996; “The Principles of International Law: Theoretical and Practical Aspects of their Promotion and Implementation,” International Law as a Language for International Relations, (The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1996.); “Islam and Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Enriching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (Geneva: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1999).
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Education
1981 B.A. International Relations San Francisco State University
1982 M.A. International Relations San Francisco State University
1984 M.A. International Relations Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver
1988 Ph.D. International Law and Politics Graduate School of International Studies, University of Denver
Major National Responsibilities
2002- 2007 Ambassador, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York
1992-2002 Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs, Tehran
1989-1992 Ambassador, Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, New York
1988-1989 Advisor to the Foreign Minister, Tehran
1985-1988 Advisor, later Counselor and Charge d'affaires, a.i., Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York
1982-1983 Advisor, Permanent Mission to the United Nations, New York
Major International Responsibilities
2007- Chairman, UNESCO Culture Commission
2003-2005 Vice-President, United Nations General Assembly
2001 Chairman, Asian Preparatory Meeting of the World Conference on Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerance
2000-2002 Member, UN Group of Eminent Persons on Dialogue among Civilizations
2000 Chairman, United Nations Disarmament Commission
2000-2002 Chairman, OIC High-Level Expert Committee on Dialogue among Civilizations
1998 Chairman of Political Committee, 12th Non-Aligned Summit, Durban
1998 Chairman, High-Level Governmental Expert Committee on Confidence Building
1997-2000 Member, Eminent Persons Advisory Group on Reform of Global Governance
1997 Spokesman, Chairman of Senior Officials, and Chairman of Political Committee, Eighth Islamic Summit Conference, Tehran
1997-1998 President, Asian African Legal Consultative Committee, New Delhi
1992-1993 Chairman, Sixth (Legal) Committee of the 47th United Nations General Assembly
Academic Activities
1997- Visiting Professor of International Law, University of Tehran.
1989- Visiting Professor, College of International Relations, Tehran.
Topics: Human Rights, International Law, International Organizations, Multilateral Diplomacy
Publications
"Tackling the Iran - U.S. Crisis: The Need for a Paradigm Shift," Columbia University Journal of International Affairs, Spring - Summer 2007.
"How Not to Inflame Iraq," New York Times, February 8, 2007. Reprinted in International Herald Tribune.
"The Case for Iran: Alarmist assesments of Iran's nuclear program lack a key component: evidece," Los Angeles Times, December 30, 2006.
“We Do Not Have A Nuclear Weapons Program,” New York Times, April 6, 2006. Reprinted in International Herald Tribune, Al-Sharq al-Awsat and several other newspapers worldwide.
“A Stronger Prescription for Security: Dialogue,” Global Agenda, (New York: United Nations Association of USA, 2005).
“Iran: US Nuclear Fears are overblown,” LA Times, Nov 5, 2004. Reprinted in several US newspapers.
“A Neighbor’s Vision of New Iraq,” New York Times, May 10, 2003. Reprinted in International Herald Tribune, and several newspapers in the Persian Gulf region.
“Indispensable Power: Hegemonic Tendencies in a Globalized World,” Harvard International Review, Winter 2003.
“Missile Proliferation and Missile Defense” A disarmament Agenda for the Twenty-First Century, (New York: United Nations, 2002).
“Reflections on Terrorism, Dialogue and Global Ethics,” Seton Hall Journal of Diplomacy and International Relations, Winter2002.
“Preserving the Best of All Civilizations,” South Letter, Volume 3&4, 2001.
Crossing the Divide: Dialogue among Civilization, (South Orange, NJ, USA: Seton Hall University, 2001)
“Article XI: Hopes and Challenges” OPCW Synthesis, Spring 2001.
“Preface” Reimagining the Future, Towards Democratic Governance, (Bundoora, Australia: La Trobe University, 2000)
“Weapons of Mass Destruction in Iran’s Security Paradigm,” Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume XI, No. 4, Winter 1999-2000.
“Islam and Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” Enriching the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, (Geneva: Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, 1999)
“Extra-Territorial Sanctions in International Law”, Report of the Seminar on the Extra-Territorial Application of National Legislation, (New Delhi: The Secretariat of AALCC, 1998.)
“Continuity and Change in Iran’s Post-Election Foreign Policy”, Foreign Policy Forum, Volumes III and IV, 1998.
“The Need for Reform in the Organization of the Islamic Conference”, The Journal of Foreign Policy, (Persian), Volume XI, No.3, Fall 1997.
“U.S. Unilateral Sanctions Against Iran,” Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume IX, No. 1, 1997.
“Unilateral US Sanctions Against Iran” The Journal of Foreign Policy (Persian), Vol. XI, No. 1, 1997.
“The Principles of International Law: Theoretical and Practical Aspects of their Promotion and Implementation,” International Law as a Language for International Relations, (The Hague: Kluwer Law International, 1996.)
"Security and Insecurity in the Persian Gulf", Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume VIII, No. 2, 1996.
"Impermissibility of the Use or Threat of Use of Nuclear Weapons," Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume VIII, No. 1, 1996.
"Political Islam", Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume VII, No. 3, 1995.
"Security Considerations in the Middle East, An Iranian Approach" Arms and Technology Transfers: Security and Economic Considerations Among Importing and Exporting States, (Geneva: UNIDIR, 1995.)
"Legal Problems of the Arms Embargo against the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina" Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume VII, No.2, 1995.
"Anticipatory and Preventive Self-Defense in International Law" Iranian Journal of International Affairs, Volume I, No.1, 1989.
Self-Defense in International Law and Policy, (University of Denver, 1988.)
Personal Data
Born January 8, 1960
Married with two children.