Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Arnauld Antoine Akodjènou of Benin

 

Deputy Special Representative for Côte d’Ivoire

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Arnauld Antoine Akodjènou of Benin as his Deputy Special Representative for Côte d’Ivoire.

He will replace Abou Moussa of Chad, who has been appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), based in Libreville, Gabon.  The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Moussa’s dedicated service during his tenure in Côte d’Ivoire and his leadership during a very challenging situation.

Mr. Akodjènou, currently Inspector General in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), brings to the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) 25 years of humanitarian, political and management experience from his service with UNHCR.

After a few years spent with the World Social Prospects Association/United Nations Institute for Training and Research in Geneva, focusing particularly on political science research, Mr. Akodjènou began his career with UNHCR in 1986 as Associate Social Services Officer in Djibouti.

After holding various positions in the Regional Bureau for Africa at headquarters, covering the Great Lakes, West Africa and Central Africa, he served as UNHCR Representative in Mali and Sierra Leone, and as Regional Coordinator for Liberia and Côte d’Ivoire, based in Ghana.  He was subsequently appointed Director of Emergency and Security Services at UNHCR’s headquarters in Geneva, and then Director of the Division of Operational Services, before taking up his functions as Inspector General in 2009.

Mr. Akodjènou graduated from the University of Benin in Cotonou, before earning his post-graduate degree from the Institute of International Relations of Cameroon in Yaoundé.  He also holds a PhD in political science from the Graduate Institute of International Studies in Geneva.

Born in Benin in 1950, Mr. Akodjènou is married and has three children.

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For information media • not an official record