Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Major General Kristin Lund of Norway

 

Commander of United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Major General Kristin Lund of Norway as the Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

The new Force Commander will replace Major General Chao Liu of China on 13 August.  The Secretary-General pays tribute to Major General Liu´s service with UNFICYP, where his dedication, professionalism and leadership greatly contributed to United Nations efforts.

Major General Lund has had a distinguished military career, with more than 34 years of military command and staff experience at the national and international levels.  As a brigadier general, she served as Deputy Commander of the Norwegian Army Forces Command from 2007 to 2009.  In 2009, she became the first female officer promoted to the rank of major general, and was appointed Chief of Staff of the Norwegian Home Guard.  In 2014, she was appointed to the Norwegian Defence Staff as head of Veteran Affairs.

Her previous experience with the United Nations includes service with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and the United Nations Protection Force.  Major General Lund has extensive experience in multinational operations, including deployment to Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Storm in 1991 and with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s International Security Assistance Force Headquarters in Afghanistan.

Major General Lund graduated from the Norwegian Defence Command and Staff College, the Norwegian Defence University College and the United States Army War College, where she earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree.

Born in 1958, she is the first woman ever to command a United Nations peacekeeping operation.

* *** *

For information media • not an official record