Secretary-General Appoints Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain Mission Head, Force Commander, United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Major General Aroldo Lázaro Sáenz of Spain as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL).

Major General Lázaro Sáenz succeeds Major General Stefano Del Col of Italy, who will shortly complete his assignment.  The Secretary-General is grateful to Major General Del Col for his exemplary service and leadership.

Major General Lázaro Sáenz has had a long and distinguished career in the Spanish Army, currently serving as Adviser to the Ministry of Defence for Defence and Security cross-cutting affairs.  He has since 2000 served in EUROFORCE Headquarters (Florence), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Rapid Deployable Corps Spain (Valencia), Spanish Brigade “Guzmán el Bueno” (Cordoba) in three assignments, Brigade Commander, Regiment Commander and Chief of Staff.

Major General Lázaro Sáenz has a vast international experience and has been deployed to peacekeeping operations:  three tours in Bosnia and Herzegovina under the command of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR), NATO Stabilization Force (SFOR) and the European Union Rapid Operational Force(EUFOR), respectively; and three additional tours in UNIFIL as a Liaison Officer in Naqoura, Chief of Staff and Sector East Commander.

Major General Lázaro Sáenz is a graduate of the General Military Academy and Spanish Army General Staff College in Spain and has academic training in the field of diplomacy, peace and security.

In addition to Spanish, Major General Lázaro Sáenz speaks English, French and Italian.