Shofry bin Haji Abdul Ghafor (born 21 October 1958) is a

Brunei Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

and artist who served as Permanent Representative of

Brunei Darussalam Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely surrounded by the ...

to the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...

(UN) from 2002 to 2005. Additionally, he is the president of the Brunei Art Forum.

Education

Shofry was educated at the

University of East Anglia The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...

( BA, Development Studies) in 1981, and at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public research university located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton encompasses seven teaching and research colleges, in addition to several national academies and ...

( MA, International Studies) in 1992.

Career

Shofry held the position of First Secretary at the Brunei Darussalam Permanent Mission to the United Nations in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

from 1993 to 1995. He served as the

Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

' Assistant Director of the

Association of South-East Asian Nations ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, military ...

(ASEAN) Department between 1990 and 1993. He served as the Political Department's Assistant Director starting in 1986. He worked as the second secretary in the embassy of his nation in

Jakarta Jakarta (; , bew, Jakarte), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta ( id, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta) is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Lying on the northwest coast of Java, the world's most populous island, Jakarta ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

, from 1983 until 1986. In 1981, he began working as an administrative officer for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Diplomatic Service Department. The new Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to the UN, Shofry, handed Secretary-General Kofi Annan his credentials on 1 October 2002. He worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Director of the Department of Multilateral Economics from 2001. In addition to serving as Director of the Department of Politics at the same ministry from 1998 to 2001. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Brunei Darussalam Embassy in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

, from 1995 to 1998. After Shofry's tenure at the UN, he was reassigned to the position of permanent secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 9 July 2005.

Later life

Pehin Dato Halbi gave the Rainforest Gallery its official opening on 14 May 2014. Dato Shofry, the director and proprietor of the Rainforest Gallery, is also the president of the Brunei Art Forum and a well-known artist in Brunei. He gave Dato Mohd Isham BND10,180 in donations for the COVID-19 Relief Fund in Brunei.

Personal life

Shofry who was born on 21 October 1958, is married to Datin Misnah Daud and has three daughters and one son

Honours

Throughout his career, he has earned the following honours: * BRU_Order_of_the_Crown_of_Brunei

Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei ( ms, Darjah Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei Yang Amat Mulia), also translated as The Most Honourable Order of the Crown of Brunei, is an order of Brunei. It was established on 1 March 1954 by Su ...

Second Class (DPMB; 15 July 2006) – ''Dato Paduka''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Shofry Abdul Ghafor 1958 births Living people Permanent Representatives of Brunei to the United Nations Bruneian diplomats Alumni of the University of East Anglia Australian National University alumni Bruneian artists