Biographical Note

Jarmo Viinanen of Finland Chair of First Committee

Jarmo Viinanen, Permanent Representative of Finland to the United Nations, was elected Chair of the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) on 22 June 2010.  (See Press Release GA/11105.)

Mr. Viinanen has served as his country’s Permanent Representative since April 2009.  Prior to that, he was Secretary-General and Chief of Cabinet to the President of Finland from 2005 to 2009.  Between 2000 and 2005, he was the President’s diplomatic adviser, Deputy Secretary General and Deputy Chief of Cabinet.  From 1998 to 2000, he was Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, having served as First Secretary in the Foreign Ministry’s Department of External Trade Relations from 1997 to 1998.

Mr. Viinanen spent several years outside his country, including a term at Finland’s Embassy in Tel Aviv, where he served as Second Secretary and then First Secretary and Deputy Chief of Mission from 1990 to 1994.  He was posted to Washington, D.C., as First Secretary from 1994 to 1997.  Between 1988 and 1990, he served as an Attaché in the Foreign Ministry’s Administrative and Political Departments, and in Vienna.

He holds a Master of Arts degree in political science from the University of Turku.

Born on 23 February 1959, Mr. Viinanen is married and has two daughters.

* *** *

__________

*     This supersedes Press Release BIO/4076 of 8 April 2009.

For information media • not an official record