Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MAURITIUS PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information received from the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

The new Permanent Representative of Mauritius, Jagdish Koonjul, presented his credentials to Secretary-General Kofi Annan today.

A graduate of the University of Bombay, Mr. Koonjul began his career in 1974 as an education officer at the Presidency College in Mauritius.  In June 1976, he was appointed Second Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs, Tourism and Emigration, and in 1978 he was posted to the Permanent Mission of Mauritius to the United Nations in New York.  Between 1980 and 1994, he served with his country's embassies in Brussels, Paris and Washington, D.C. 

In October 1994, he became Deputy High Commissioner of Mauritius in New Delhi, and in January 1997 he was appointed head of the Multilateral Political Directorate at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade.

Mr. Koonjul was appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary in January 1999.

Throughout his distinguished career, Mr. Koonjul participated in numerous international meetings and represented his country at such events as the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Conference in Vienna and the Conference of Labour Ministers of Non-Aligned Countries.  His publications include “Mauritius and the Lomé Convention” and “Ethnic Conflict in Sri Lanka”.

Born on 14 April 1952, Mr. Koonjul is married with four children.

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