Biography
Ahmad Zia Langari
Human Rights Commissioner
Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commissioner
Kabul, Afghanistan

My academic background is agriculture science, M.Sc from Kabul University in 1977. I have worked for the Ministry of Agriculture of Afghanistan for fourteen years in the areas of agriculture development policy and planning. In 1991 I joined OXFAM UK/Ireland Office in Afghanistan as Program Officer, working for refugees of Tajikistan and Afghan IDPs on the northern parts of Afghanistan as well as managing rehabilitation and community mobilization projects in conflict affected rural areas. In 1997 I joint the International Federation for Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies as Disaster Preparedness Program Manager at the Northern Sub-delegation office.
When Taliban forces occupied the northern parts of Afghanistan in 1998, I together with my family left the country for Pakistan, and I was recruited soon as the Human Rights Program Manager of the Cooperation Center for Afghanistan (1999-2002) (CCA) in Peshawar. I was managing all human rights education programs of the CCA, and managing monitoring the human rights situation inside Afghanistan through the CCA’s human rights correspondents. This monitoring was conducting in covert manner because the Taliban leadership was very sensitive to human rights.
As a result of efforts made at the national level by the Interim Government of Afghanistan, established after the Taliban defeated in late 2001, I was appointed as member (Commissioner) of the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission in June 2002. My main areas of responsibility in this Commission is managing of the AIHRC’s programs and policy making on protection and promotion of the human rights of person with disability and, on behalf of the AIHRC, I work as a contact person for OHCHR, APF and also member of different national task force commissions/committees.
I have extended my relation with active members of NGO/CSOs, academic figures, writers and researchers within the country.