Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Major General Michael Finn of Ireland

 

To Head United Nations Truce Supervision Organization

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Major General Michael Finn of Ireland as the Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO).

Major General Finn succeeds Major General Juha Kilpia of Finland, who will complete his assignment on 30 June 2013.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Major General Kilpia for his dedication and effective leadership of UNTSO over the past two years.

Major General Finn brings to his new position extensive command and peacekeeping experience attained through service at the national and international levels.  Prior to his appointment, Major General Finn was the General Officer commanding the Second Infantry, a position he held since 2010.  In 2003 and 2004, Major General Finn commanded the first Irish infantry force in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)-led Kosovo Force (KFOR) mission in Kosovo.  He also served as the Director of Logistics in the European Union Military Staff within the European Union General Council Secretariat in Brussels (2007-2010).  Major General Finn’s experience with United Nations peacekeeping include as a military observer assigned to Observer Group Golan assisting the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) (1993-1995) and as an UNTSO military observer assigned to Observer Group Lebanon assisting the implementation of the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), and Company Commander and a Battalion Operations Officer in UNIFIL.

Major General Finn graduated from the University College of Galway in Ireland.  He also graduated with distinction from the Irish Command and Staff School and attended a number of international military courses.

Born in Ireland in 1953, he is married and has three children.

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