Biographical Note

New Permanent Observer of the League of Arab States Presents Appointment Letter

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service)

Ahmed Amin Fathalla, the new Permanent Observer for the League of Arab States at the United Nations, presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

A national of Egypt, Mr. Fathalla was until his latest appointment the First Undersecretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Cairo, as well as member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee.  Before that, he held the rank of Assistant Foreign Minister responsible for European Affairs from 2010-2011, and for Asian Affairs from 2009-2010.

During the period 2005 to 2009, he served as Egypt’s Ambassador to the Netherlands and Representative to the Permanent Court of Arbitration.  From 2004 to 2005, he was Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs responsible for multilateral relations.

Mr. Fathalla’s term as Ambassador to Turkey from 2003 to 2004 was preceded by service as the Deputy Assistant to the Foreign Minister in charge of International Legal Affairs and Treaties, from 2001 to 2003, prior to which he was Ambassador to Morocco between 1997 and 2001.

He was Deputy Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs responsible for International Legal Matters from 1996 to 1997, and Legal Affairs Adviser to the Secretariat of the Basel Convention between 1990 and 1996.

Mr. Fathalla’s diplomatic and foreign affairs career saw him serve as a Counsellor in Egypt’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other specialized agencies in Switzerland (1987-1989); First Secretary at the Embassy in New Delhi, India (1985-1987); First Secretary at the Foreign Ministry in Cairo in charge of Legal Matters relating to International Organizations and Specialized Agencies (1984-1985); and Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission in New York (1979-1983).  He worked in the office of the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs from 1978 to 1979, and was Third Secretary in the Foreign Ministry’s Legal Department from 1977 to 1978, having first joined the Ministry in 1976.

Mr. Fathalla obtained a bachelor’s degree in law from Cairo University in 1974, and a diploma in international relations from the Institut International d’Administration Public in France, in 1978.

He was born on 25 November 1952 in Cairo.

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