HYNEK KMONÍCEK OF CZECH REPUBLIC CHAIRMAN OF FIFTH COMMITTEE

Biographical Note

HYNEK KMONÍČEK OF CZECH REPUBLIC CHAIRMAN OF FIFTH COMMITTEE

Hynek Kmoníček, the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic, was elected as Chair of the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) on 6 June this year.

Before his appointment in 2001 as Permanent Representative, Mr. Kmoníček was his country’s Deputy Foreign Minister.  Prior to that, he held a number of positions in his country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Director-General for Asia, Africa and the Americas (1999); and Director of the Middle East and Africa Department (1997).

Mr. Kmoníček’s other career activities included a year at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem under the Rothberg Overseas Programme (1994-1995); and lecturer at the University of Pardubice, Czech Republic (1991-1994).  For five years, from 1996-1991, he was a music teacher and concert player (lute, classical guitar).

He was educated in the Czech Republic, studying music and education at the South Bohemian University at Ceske Budejovice, and pursued English and Arabic studies at the Charles University in Prague.  He also studied modern history of the Middle East at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem in 1995.

Born on 22 October 1962 in Pardubice, Czech Republic, Mr. Kmoníček speaks English, Czech and Russian, and has a working knowledge of Arabic and Hebrew.

He is married with one son and three daughters.

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*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/3394 of 23 October 2001.