SECRETARY-GENERAL DELIGHTED AT WILLINGNESS OF KAREN ABUZAYD

 

TO SERVE AS UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General is delighted that Ms. Karen AbuZayd, who has done an outstanding job in the last five years as Deputy Commissioner-General, and in the last three months as Acting Commissioner-General, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), has now agreed to serve a full three-year term as Commissioner-General.  Ms. AbuZayd is already well known to UNRWA staff, to the Palestinian refugee community, and to governments in the region, as well as donors and members of UNRWA’s Advisory Commission.  The Secretary-General believes that under her leadership UNRWA will carry out its mandate and fully live up to its responsibilities, during a period which, we all hope, will see decisive progress towards lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians, based on United Nations resolutions and a negotiated settlement of all outstanding issues, including the refugee problem.

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