Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ISRAEL PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

The new Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, Gabriela Shalev, presented her credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Until her appointment, which makes her the first woman to hold the position, Ms. Shalev was President of the Academic Council and Rector of Ono Academic College in Israel since 2002.  She was previously a professor of contract law at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem until her early retirement in 2002.  She was Director of the Harry Sacher Institute for Legislative Research and Comparative Law from 1981 to 1984.

Ms. Shalev has served on public sector committees and on the boards of numerous Israeli corporations and organizations.  She has written nine books and more than 100 articles, her most recent book, Contract Law -– General Part, Towards Codification of the Civil Law, having just been published.  She has received several prizes honouring her special achievements in academic and legal research, including the Sussman Prize in 1989, the Zeltner Prize in 1991 and the Israel Bar Association Prize in 2003.

Having earned a doctorate as well as master and bachelor’s degrees in law from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Ms. Shalev has also taught contract law and comparative law at universities in the United States, Europe and Canada.

She was born in Tel Aviv, Israel, in 1941.

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For information media • not an official record