New Permanent Observer for International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies Presents Letter of Appointment

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

Richard Blewitt, the new Permanent Observer for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) to the United Nations, presented his letter of appointment to UN Secretary‑General António Guterres today.

Prior to his appointment, Mr. Blewitt served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative for Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten, since 2013.  From 2006 until 2013, he was CEO of the non‑governmental organization HelpAge International, which focuses on issues of ageing.

Between 2003 and 2006, Mr. Blewitt served as IFRC’s Director of Movement Cooperation and Policy Communications.  He has also worked in senior capacities at the British Red Cross and Save the Children UK, and has been a consultant for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Geneva.  He began his career as a teacher of English with Sudan’s Ministry of Education.

Mr. Blewitt holds a master’s degree in politics and government from the School of Oriental and Asian Studies in London, and a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Surrey, also in the United Kingdom.