Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan

 

as Director-General, United Nations Office at Geneva

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev of Kazakhstan as the new Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG).

He succeeds Sergei Ordzhonikidze, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for the services he has rendered to the Organization and for his commitment in leading UNOG since 2002.

Mr. Tokayev brings to this position a wealth of experience at the senior levels of Government.  He also has thorough knowledge of the Conference on Disarmament and the issues surrounding the deliberations of the Conference, coupled with extensive hands-on management experience.  He also brings to bear the ability to create consensus among United Nations agencies, partners in the public and private sector, academia and civil society in pursuit of the Organization’s objectives.

Mr. Tokayev is currently the Chair of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan.  He has also served as Minister for Foreign Affairs (1994-1999) and Secretary of State, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2002-2007).  Mr. Tokayev also served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 1999 to 2002.

Born in 1953, he is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, the Beijing Institute of the Chinese Language and the Diplomatic Academy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, and he holds a Doctor of political science.

He is married and has a son.

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For information media • not an official record