Biographical Note

New Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone Presents Credentials

 

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

The new Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, Vandi Chidi Minah, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

Until his appointment, Mr. Minah was his country’s Minister for Transport and Aviation since December 2010.  Before that, he served as Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation from 2008 to 2010.

A lawyer by profession, Mr. Minah served in various capacities within the United Nations system for 12 years, from 1996 to 2008, most recently as Legal Adviser to the United Nations Integrated Office for Sierra Leone (2006 to 2008).  He was a Legal Officer in the Administrative Unit of the Office for Human Resources Management (OHRM) at Headquarters from June 2005 to June 2006, and as First Officer in the Office of the OHRM Assistant Secretary-General between 2002 and 2005.

From 2001 to 2002, Mr. Minah was a Legal Adviser in the Office of the Director of Administration for the United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor in Dili.  He also served as a Legal Officer in the Office of the mission’s Principal Legal Adviser, from 2000 to 2001, and as Legal Affairs Officer in the Office of the Chief Legal Officer/Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, between 1996 and 1999.

Mr. Minah obtained both his master’s degree in public international law as well as his Bachelor of Laws from London University.

Born in London on 17 February 1965, Mr. Minah is married.

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