Secretary-General Appoints Pernille Dahler Kardel of Denmark Acting Special Coordinator for Lebanon

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Pernille Dahler Kardel of Denmark as Acting United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon.

Ms. Kardel succeeds Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands, who concluded her assignment on 26 October 2017.  The Secretary‑General is thankful for Ms. Kaag’s dedication and leadership.

Ms. Kardel brings 25 years of experience in diplomacy, political affairs, international cooperation and economic development, spanning several continents.  Most recently, she served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary‑General for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) since 2016.  She was previously the Ambassador of Denmark to Egypt from 2012 to 2016 and to Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Djibouti from 2007.  She also served as Permanent Representative to the African Union, Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

She has held several positions with Denmark’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ranging from Counsellor with the Permanent Mission to the United Nations to Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow and Second Secretary in New Delhi.  She also served as the Head of the Asia Department.

Ms. Kardel holds master’s degrees in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University in the United States and in interdisciplinary planning from Roskilde University in Denmark.

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*     This supersedes Press Release SG/A/1647-AFG/451-BIO/4826 of 18 March 2016.