Yahya Maroofi

Mohammad Yahya Maroofi (or Maroufi) (born March 5, 1939 in Kabul), he is an ethnic Pashtun from the Barakzai tribe and originally his family is from District Maroof Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was nominated on February 2, 2002, as Special adviser to the Afghan president Hamid Karzai, President of the Interim Government of Afghanistan. Maroofi has been re-conduct on August 5, 2002 in his position following the re-election of Karzai as President during the Loya Jirga on June 2002. On November 1, 2004, Maroofi served as Ambassador of Afghanistan to Scandinavia, resident in Oslo between 2005 and 2007. From May 2007 to August 2009 he was appointed as Afghan Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since September 2009 Mr. Yahya Maroofi is Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO). On the termination of his assignment as Secretary General of ECO on 13th August 2012 Mr. Maroofi has been reappointed as Minister, Adviser to the president of Afghanistan on International Relations. During his assignment, Mr. Maroofi has taken active part in numerous international meetings and conferences and traveled extensively throughout the world representing Afghanistan. His numerous essays and collection of speeches are recorded in the archive of ECO, IOM and Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan.

Formerly Maroofi has been working as Executive Director for Asia (from 1997 to 2001) and Special Envoy in the International Organization for Migration (OIM) based in Geneva, Switzerland. Maroofi was responsible for dossiers involving Afghan refugees in Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan as well as for the maintaining of good diplomatic relations between the Organization and the respective Governments. Maroofi started in the Organization for Migrations as a Consultant for refugees matters in Africa after he and his family had left Afghanistan further the Soviet invasion. Maroofi took care of dossiers involving cross border refugees during political crisis in Iraq, Kenya, Tanzania and Somalia from 1985 to 1992. Currently he is the general secretary of Economic Cooperation Organization.

Maroofi started his career in the Afghan diplomatic service where he held numerous positions. His last post was as Director of the Department of International Relations and United Nations Affairs. Further the Soviet invasion, Mr. Maroofi and his family left to Switzerland. Mr. Maroofi is married to Mrs. Soraya Ludin Maroofi and they have two children.

Maroofi graduated in Law from Kabul University, holds a Master degree in International Relations from the University of Sydney and a Master degree in International Law from the Fairleigh Dickinson University, New Jersey.