Biographical Note                                                                  

BIO/3520*

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF GUINEA-BISSAU PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

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

Alfredo Lopes Cabral, the new Permanent Representative of Guinea-Bissau to the United Nations, presented his credentials today to the Secretary-General, Kofi Annan.

Before his current appointment, Mr. Cabral was Director General, in the Office of Strategic Studies and Policy Planning in Guinea-Bissau’s Foreign Ministry since February 2001.  Prior to that, he was the Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General in Haiti from October 1999 to February 2001, as head of the United Nations Civilian Police Mission in Haiti (MIPONUH) and later its successor, the International Civilian Support Mission in Haiti (MICAH).

Returning for the third time as his country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, he previously served in the same capacity from 1986 to 1990 and again from 1996 to 1999, during which time he also represented Guinea-Bissau on the Security Council (1996–1997) and served as its President in September 1996.  Between 1987 and 1996, he was Ambassador to Washington, D.C., and concurrently, to Ottawa, Canada and Mexico. 

His diplomatic service began in 1974.  He served as Adviser in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1974-1975); Director of the Africa Division in the same ministry (1975-1979); and First Counsellor and then Chargé d’Affaires at the Guinea-Bissau Mission to the United Nations (1979-1983).  From 1983 to 1986, he served as his country’s Ambassador to Algeria, Tunisia and the Middle East.

During his extensive diplomatic service, Mr. Cabral has represented his country at many United Nations system, international, regional and subregional meetings, conferences and summits, including those of the General Assembly, the Organization of African Unity (OAU)/African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, and the Organization of Islamic Conference, among others.  Since 1982, he has been a regular participant in the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.  He also represented Guinea-Bissau in the Economic and Social Council and in the United Nations Development Programme and United Nations Children's Fund governing boards.

Mr. Cabral holds degrees in chemical engineering, international relations and certificates in higher specialized studies from several institutions.  He is fluent in French, English, Portuguese, German, Spanish and many African languages.

Born in 1946, he is married with three children.

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*     Supercedes BIO/3030 issued 12 August 1996.