Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS SISSEL EKAAS OF NORWAY DEPUTY SPECIAL

REPRESENTATIVE OF UN MISSION IN ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA

The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Sissel Ekaas of Norway as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea. 

Ms. Ekaas has been serving since 1998 as Director, Gender and Population Division, Sustainable Development Department in the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

From 1995 to 1998, Ms. Ekaas was Deputy Director, Office to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNSO) in the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  Her previous United Nations experience includes a three-year assignment with UNDP in Niger and in New York (1982-85).

Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. Ekaas served as Programme Coordinator, special programme for the Sahel-Sudan-Ethiopia region in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Resident Representative, Norwegian Agency for International Development in Antananarivo, Madagascar.  She also served as Deputy Director in the Secretariat for the 1990 Regional European Conference on Sustainable Development, Ministry of Environment of Norway, and Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer, Multilateral Department, in the Ministry of Development Cooperation of Norway.

Ms. Ekaas is expected to take up her duties in Asmara by the end of November, following a series of briefings in New York.

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