Biographical Note

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Shamshad Akhtar of Pakistan as the Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, following consultations with the Advisory Commission of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), announced today the appointment of Pierre Krähenbühl of Switzerland as the Agency’s new Commissioner-General. He will replace Filippo Grandi.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Juan Somavía of Chile, former Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), as his Special Adviser on Interregional Policy Cooperation.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Michael Møller of Denmark as Acting Head of the United Nations Office at Geneva (UNOG), replacing Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his outstanding contribution and commitment in spearheading the Organization’s work.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Fatiha Serour (Algeria) as his Deputy Special Representative for Somalia. The Secretary-General extends his sincere thanks to Peter de Clercq of the Netherlands, who served as Deputy Special Representative since the establishment of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), and was recently appointed Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).

The new Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani, today presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The new Permanent Representative of Peru to the United Nations, Gustavo Meza-Cuadra Velásquez, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki‑moon.

The new Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations, Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed M’Baye Babacar Cissé of Senegal as his Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), where he will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative.