Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Karin Landgren of Sweden

 

His Special Representative in Burundi

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Karin Landgren ( Sweden) as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office in Burundi (BNUB).  The Secretary-General is grateful to Charles Petrie for his service to the Organization, and for his commitment in leading the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB) at a critical period as Executive Representative.

Ms. Landgren brings to the position many years of political, development, resource-mobilization, managerial and international law experience with the United Nations.  She was the country representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Eritrea, Singapore and Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Her service with UNHCR also included emergency humanitarian missions in Africa’s Great Lakes region, postings in India and the Philippines, and the post of Chief of Standards and Legal Advice.

Having served for many years as Head of Child Protection with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Ms. Landgren brings added value to her new position as Special Representative of the Secretary-General with her diverse experience at Headquarters and in the field, in addition to her work as Deputy Special Representative as well as Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

Ms Landgren has been an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and has published and lectured widely on humanitarian, refugee and child-protection issues.  She has a Bachelor of Science (Economics) in international relations and a master’s degree in international law from the London School of Economics.

Born in 1957, she has two children.

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*     This supersedes Press Release SG/A/1173-BIO/4059 of 3 February 2009.

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