Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS JACQUES KLEIN AS HIS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR LIBERIA

The Secretary-General, on 8 July 2003, appointed Ambassador Jacques Paul Klein (United States) as his Special Representative for Liberia.  Ambassador Klein will expedite the return of all United Nations agencies providing humanitarian assistance to the people of Liberia and also lead and coordinate the activities of the United Nations in that country.

Prior to his recent appointment, Ambassador Klein was Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Coordinator of the United Nations Operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Ambassador Klein is a career member of the Senior Foreign Service of the United States Department of State.  He is a graduate of the National War College and, in 1982, he served as Senior Advisor for International Affairs to the Secretary of the Air Force in the Department of Defense, with the rank of Deputy Assistant Secretary.  He returned to the Department of State to become Director of the Office of Strategic Technology matters in the Bureau of Politico-Military Affairs.  In 1989, he was again recalled to the Department of Defense to serve as Assistant Deputy Under-Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs.

In 1990, Mr. Klein returned to the Department of State to serve as Principal Advisor to the Director General of the Foreign Service, and Director of Personnel for Career Development, Training and Detail Assignments.  He returned abroad in 1993 to serve as Political Advisor to the Commander-in-Chief of the United States European Command in Stuttgart, Germany.  In 1996, United Nations Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali selected him to serve as Transitional Administrator for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium with the rank of Under-Secretary-General.

Mr. Klein has been awarded the Department of State’s Distinguished Honour Award, as well as three Superior and Meritorious Honour Awards.  He is also the recipient of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Outstanding Public Service, as well as the Department of the Air Force’s Awards for Exceptional and Meritorious Civilian Service.

He is a retired Major General of the United States Air Force and, during his period of service, was awarded the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, a Bronze Start, and the Air Medal.

Mr. Klein has also been made a Grand Officer of the Order of the Crown by the Kingdom of Belgium; and been awarded the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany; the Aeronautical Order of Merit, in the grade of Commander, from the Government of Brazil; the Order of the Lion, in the grade of Commander, by the Government of Senegal; and the Legion d’Honneur, in the grade of Officer, by the Government of France.

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