Secretary-General Appoints Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal Special Representative, Head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Abdoulaye Bathily of Senegal as his Special Representative for Libya and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL). 

He succeeds Ján Kubiš of Slovakia, who previously served as Special Envoy and Head of UNSMIL, and to whom the Secretary-General expresses his gratitude for his service to the Organization.

Mr. Bathily brings to this position over 40 years of experience with his national Government, academic institutions, regional organizations and the United Nations system.  In his most recent assignment with the United Nations, he served, in 2021, as the Independent Expert for the strategic review of UNSMIL.

He previously served as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) from 2013 to 2014, and as Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA) in Gabon from 2014 to 2016.  In 2018, he was appointed as Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Madagascar and in 2019 as Independent Expert for the strategic review of the United Nations Office for West Africa.

Mr. Bathily held various ministerial positions in the Senegalese Government, notably as Senior Minister in the Office of the President in charge of African Affairs from 2012 to 2013, Minister for Energy and Hydraulics from 2000 to 2001 and Minister for the Environment and the Protection of Nature from 1993 to 1998.  Elected to the National Assembly in 1998, he served as Vice-Speaker from 2001 to 2006.  He was also elected as a Member of the Economic Community of West African States Parliament from 2002 to 2006.

Having taught history for more than 30 years at the Université Cheikh Anta Diop in Senegal, he also lectured in several universities around the world.  Mr. Bathily holds a Doctor of Philosophy in history from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom, as well as a doctorate from the Université Cheikh Anta Diop.  Mr. Bathily is fluent in English, French, Soninke and Wolof.