SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL SHASHI THAROOR

COORDINATOR FOR MULTILINGUALISM

The Secretary-General has appointed Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor as Coordinator for Multilingualism.  The appointment is in implementation of General Assembly resolution 54/64 of 6 December 1999, by which the General Assembly requested the Secretary-General to appoint a senior Secretariat official as coordinator of questions relating to multilingualism throughout the Secretariat.

A national of India and a career international civil servant, Mr. Tharoor joined the United Nations in 1978 and rose through the ranks to his current position as Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information.  His new functions are in addition to his current responsibilities as head of the Department of Public Information (DPI).

* *** *