Zahra Vanda has been selected as Afghanistan’s sixth Youth Representative to the United Nations for the 2026–2027 term.
Afghans for Progressive Thinking (APT) held the final round of the selection process for Afghanistan’s Youth Representative at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Friday, November 6.
The Afghanistan Youth Representative to the United Nations programme was launched in 2018 by Afghans for Progressive Thinking.
The selection panel included Suraya Dalil, Afghanistan’s former Minister of Public Health; Heather Barr, Head of Women’s Rights at Human Rights Watch (HRW); and representatives of organisations working in education and development.
Under the programme, Vanda will engage with young people in Afghanistan and abroad throughout her term, gathering their views, priorities and recommendations.
She is expected to present these perspectives to the United Nations, the European Union (EU) and other international organisations. Girls’ education and women’s rights will be among the main priorities of her work in this role.
