S. AMOS WAKO OF KENYA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SEABED ASSEMBLY

18 March 1997

Press Release
BIO/3063
SEA/1537

S. AMOS WAKO OF KENYA ELECTED PRESIDENT OF SEABED ASSEMBLY

19970318 Biographical Note KINGSTON, 17 March -- The Attorney-General of Kenya, S. Amos Wako, was today elected President of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority for its third session (1997), being held at Kingston. Mr. Wako, appointed as his country's Attorney-General in 1991, has held several United Nations posts. From 1982 to 1992, he was Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on Summary or Arbitrary Executions, and in 1993, he was Chairman of the United Nations Panel of Inquiry appointed by the Secretary-General at the request of the Security Council to inquire into the Harbel massacre in Liberia. He was elected a member of the Human Rights Committee in 1984 and became its Vice-Chairman in 1991.

He has been the leader of the Kenya delegation to the Seabed Authority since 1994. Mr. Wako is currently Chairman of the Ministers of Justice/Attorneys- General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA). He is a member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration and of the International Advisory Panel to the World Copyright Arbitration Centre. Former posts with international organizations include Deputy Secretary-General of the International Bar Association (1988-1991) and Chairman of the Association's Biennial Conference (1990); Commissioner (from 1981) and Executive Committee member (1985-1991) of the International Commission of Jurists; and member of the Churches Commission on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches (1984-1991). Admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of Kenya in 1970, he was elected Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers in 1977. He became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (London) in 1986.

Born on 31 July 1945, Mr. Wako obtained an honours degree of Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) from University College, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania, of the University of East Africa; honours degree of Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Economics of the University of London, with a specialization in international affairs; and Master of Laws (LL.M.) of the University of London, with a specialization in comparative constitutional law, international economic law and the law of treaties.

Mr. Wako is married and has two children.

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