Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BURUNDI PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information received from the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

Joseph Ntakirutimana, the new Permanent Representative of Burundi to the United Nations, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Ntakirutimana was Minister of Good Governance, General State Inspection and Administration, from September 2005 to March 2006, after having held the position of Chef de Cabinet to the former Minister, from November 2003 to August 2005.  In 2003, he was re-elected as a representative to the National Assembly, after having served on it previously from August 1994 to February 1995.

In June 1995, he was elected as provincial deputy to the Movement Conseil national pour la defense de la démocratie-Forces pour la defense et la démocratie (CNDD-FDD).  Mr. Ntakirutimana has taken an active part in the organization and the coordination of activities of the CNND-FDD, since 1995.

From February 1995 to September 1996, he was Senior Advisor at the Embassy of Burundi in Kenya, before becoming a political refugee in Belgium, between October 1996 and November 2001.  Between 1992 and 1994, he was successively Governor of the Province of Ngozi and Provincial Deputy to the Front pour la démocratie au Burundi(FRODEBU), of which he has been a founding member since 1992.

Mr. Ntakirutimana earned a degree in higher education from the Pedagogical Institute, which enabled him to pursue a career in education, between 1986 and 1993.  Mr. Ntakirutimana speaks French, English and Swahili.

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