Biographical Note

Secretary-General appoints Francesco bastagli of Italy

Special Representative for western sahara

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Francesco Bastagli of Italy as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Western Sahara.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Bastagli served for three years in Kosovo as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Civil Administration, where he was responsible for backstopping ministries and local administrations, intervening as necessary to ensure compliance with the United Nations mandate.  He oversaw the transfer of authority to the provisional institutions of self-government and promoted the establishment of a modern and accountable public administration and civil service.

Mr. Bastagli started his international career in 1974 at United Nations Headquarters, working first in administration as Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary-General for Personnel Services.  In 1979, he opened the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees office in Nicaragua and managed a programme for about 800,000 refugees and displaced persons.  In the early 1980s, Mr. Bastagli moved to the Secretariat of the Conference for International Cooperation in the Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy.  He later joined the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) where, as Chief of the Executive Office, he was instrumental in the adjustment of UNRWA operations to emergencies affecting Palestinians.

In 1991, Mr. Bastagli transferred to the United Nations International Drug Control Programme where he was responsible for tasks ranging from technical cooperation and research to external relations.  He launched and supervised the United Nations programme against money-laundering and the 1997 publication of the first World Drug Report.  In the later part of his assignment, Mr. Bastagli was also in charge of the Centre for International Crime Prevention.

Between 1999 and 2002, Mr. Bastagli served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Iran.  Poverty alleviation, good governance and human rights were featured in programmes pursued with the central Government, the Parliament, local councils, universities and non-governmental organizations.  The first ever human development report for Iran was issued in 2000.

Mr. Bastagli holds a “laurea” in Law from the State University of Milan.  He also studied at the University of Georgia, United States.  He is married and has two daughters.

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For information media • not an official record