Arif Z. Lalani is a Senior Fellow with New America's Future Security Program and a former Canadian diplomat who served as Ambassador to Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates. He was also posted to Turkey (with accreditation to Georgia and Azerbaijan), New York (representing Canada on the United Nations Security Council) and to Washington D.C. Ambassador Lalani was Canada's first Special Envoy to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.
Across his career in the foreign service, he advanced Canada's strategic political and business interests and purposefully shaped international responses to security, economic, development and humanitarian matters. In 2016, Ambassador Lalani took a four-year leave from the government to head the diplomatic department of His Highness the Aga Khan. He represented the interests of the Imamat and the Aga Khan Development Network globally. Returning to government, he focused on
international organizations. He is expert on global governance, especially the work of the UN system (including the international financial institutions) and NATO. He has previously served on the boards of the Centre for International Governance Innovation; the Commonwealth of Learning; Hedayah; the Canadian Ditchley Foundation; and the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy. Ambassador Lalani currently consults privately. He also serves on an advisory committee for the Prince’s Trust International and on the Mediation Advisory Board at Global Affairs Canada.
He is a Distinguished Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation and a Senior Fellow at New America. He is the recipient of several awards, from different governments. He has appeared on major media networks in Europe and North America, often asked to speak about international crisis management. He holds an M.Sc. in Management, Organizations and Governance from London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).