Secretary-General Appoints Markus Potzel of Germany Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Markus Potzel of Germany as his new Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

He succeeds Mette Knudsen of Denmark, to whom the Secretary-General expresses his gratitude for her dedicated service.

Mr. Potzel brings to the position over 27 years of professional experience in diplomacy and international cooperation, including eight years of professional experience working in and on Afghanistan.  Most recently, he served as Ambassador of Germany to Afghanistan.

In addition, he has held several senior positions with the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs, including as German Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan (2017-2021), Commissioner for Crisis Management (since 2016), Ambassador of Germany to Afghanistan (2014-2016) and Head of the German Federal Foreign Office Middle East Division (2010-2014).

He also served as Personal Assistant to the Minister for Foreign Affairs (2006-2009), in the Parliamentary and Cabinet Division of the German Ministry for Foreign Affairs (2004-2005), as Head of the Economics and Trade Section in the German Embassy in Tehran (2000-2004) and as Head of the Cultural Section in the German Embassy in Singapore (1997-2000).  In 2010, he was a visiting Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs studying relations between Iran and Afghanistan.

Mr. Potzel holds a master’s degree in Persian and English language and literature studies from the Humboldt University Berlin in Germany and the University of Dushanbe in Tajikistan.  He is fluent in German, English, Persian and Dari.