Biographical Note

Secretary-General Appoints Said Djinnit of Algeria

 

Special Envoy for Great Lakes Region

 

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Said Djinnit of Algeria as his Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region.  He succeeds Mary Robinson of Ireland, who has accepted new responsibilities as the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Change.

Mr. Said Djinnit served as the first African Union Commissioner for Peace and Security, after holding various positions in the Organization of African Unity, including as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.  From 2008 until recently, Mr. Djinnit served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).  He also served as the High-Level Representative of the Secretary-General to Nigeria, in support of efforts against Boko Haram.

Mr. Djinnit served in various diplomatic missions of his home country, including as Chargé d’Affaires of the Algerian Embassy in Brussels, as well as Deputy Head of Mission in Addis Ababa.  He holds a diploma from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration - Diplomacy, in Algiers.  Mr. Djinnit is fluent in Arabic, French and English.

Born in 1954, Mr. Djinnit is married and has three children.

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*     This supersedes Press Release SG/A/1121-BIO/3964 of 28 February 2008.

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