Join AIIA SA with special guest Sami Omari for a presentation and Q&A session on his experience and insights from his career in Afghanistan. This is a rare opportunity to gain insight into life in contemporary Afghanistan under NATO from an Afghan perspective.
Sami has nearly a decade of experience working with ISAF, NATO, and international legal institutions in Afghanistan, having began as a Cultural Affairs Officer with NATO before later advancing to Cultural Affairs Advisor. Sami then transitioned into the legal sector, serving as a Prosecutor for the Afghan Attorney General's Office (AGO) and a Legal Advisor to provincial governors across Afghanistan.
Sami was subsequently hired by the U.S. Department of State as a Legal Advisor, joining a Harvard Law School-led team supporting the Afghan Justice Sector Support Program across 24 provinces. In 2020, he was appointed Government Liaison Manager for NATO in Afghanistan, where he played a key role in the process of releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners under the U.S.-Taliban Doha Agreement.
With deep expertise in governance, rule of law, and international diplomacy, Sami has worked closely with senior government officials, military leaders, and international stakeholders, contributing to critical political and legal processes in Afghanistan.
Sami now resides in Adelaide and is one of Australia's leading experts in the inner workings of the Afghan Government.
