Yahya Qanie is an Afghan-born social entrepreneur, policy advocate, and New York University graduate with over a decade of experience in the intersection of international security, peacebuilding, and inclusive governance. He is the Founder and former Acting President of the United Nations Association of Afghanistan, and the founder of Kabul Model United Nations—the country’s first MUN initiative. He also co-founded the National Youth Consensus for Peace, served as a global advocate for youth inclusion in decision-making, and held roles as an Advocacy Fellow at Search for Common Ground, Research Associate at The Soufan Center, and Advisor to the NYU School of Professional Studies Dean.

Among recognitions for his work, Mr. Qanie has received the Honorary Medal twice, in 2017 and 2019, from the National Olympic Committee of Afghanistan, an appreciation letter from the former First Lady of Afghanistan, and an official letter of appreciation from the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations and the Office of Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth. He was nominated for the Asia 21 Young Leaders Award 2018.

In 2020, he was invited by Jayathma Wickramanayake, UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth to speak at the 5th Anniversary of UNSC Resolution 2250, and in 2021, he was invited to speak at the opening ceremony of the “High-Level Global Conference on Youth-Inclusive Peace Process” alongside António Guterres, the UN Secretary-General; Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani; the Deputy Prime Minister & Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar; Pekka Haavisto, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Finland; and María Juliana Ruiz, the First-Lady of Colombia. In 2022, he was awarded the Afghan Crisis Scholarship by the Center for Global Affairs of School of Professional Studies to pursue a Master’s degree at New York University. That same year, he was invited as the first Afghan in the 100-year history of International House NYC to serve as Master of Ceremony at its prestigious Sunday Supper—an iconic gathering attended by former Secretary of State and Under Secretary of Defense Frank Wisner, former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson, Daisy Soros, Board of Trustees of I-House, and over 300 international graduate students.

Mr. Qanie has authored numerous policy briefs, op-eds, and strategic recommendations presented to the U.S. Congress, the Department of State, the European Union, and the United Nations. He also served as a member of an international Steering Group that developed a five-year global strategic roadmap on the inclusion of youth in the peace process—an initiative led by the Office of UN Secretary General’s Envoy on Youth and Search for Common Ground.