Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Charles Petrie of United Kingdom/France

 

as Executive Representative for Burundi

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Charles Petrie of the United Kingdom/France as his new Executive Representative for Burundi and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in that country (BINUB) and United Nations Resident Coordinator, Resident Representative, Humanitarian Coordinator and Designated Official for Burundi.  He replaces Youssef Mahmoud of Tunisia.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Mr. Mahmoud for his long and continuing service to the Organization, and for his commitment in leading BINUB for the last three years as his Executive Representative.

Mr. Petrie brings to the position 20 years of extensive experience with the United Nations, which reflects expertise in conflict prevention, peacemaking, peacebuilding, and humanitarian and recovery/development action, as well as broad experience in the Great Lakes region of Africa.  He served as Chief of the United Nations Emergency Unit in Sudan, as a Senior Humanitarian Affairs Officer in Somalia and as the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Rwanda.  He also served as the Special Assistant to the Commissioner General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Gaza, as the Senior Humanitarian Adviser in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and as the Director of Policy and Planning for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Mr. Petrie was the Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative in Myanmar until December 2007.  He also served as Special Adviser to the Department of Political Affairs and UNDP, providing support and advice for the United Nations’ efforts in ongoing conflicts and in countries undergoing transitional changes.  In his current function as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia (UNPOS), he has worked in close collaboration with the African Union and the wider international community in the search for peace, stability and reconciliation in Somalia.

Mr. Petrie holds a Bachelor of Arts in international relations from the American College in Paris and a Master of Business Administration from INSEAD, the international graduate business school.

Born on 16 September 1959, he has three children.

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For information media • not an official record