Biographical Note

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Major General Abdul Hafiz of Bangladesh as the Force Commander of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO).

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Lieutenant General Tadesse Werede Tesfay (Ethiopia) as Head of Mission and Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). Lieutenant General Tesfay will be responsible for discharging the mandate of UNISFA, as contained in Security Council resolution 1990 of 27 June 2011.

The new Permanent Observer of the Cooperation Council of the Arab States of the Gulf to the United Nations, Adnan Ahmed Abdullah Al-Ansari, presented his letter of appointment today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The new Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, Kim Sook, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki‑moon.

The new Permanent Representative of Viet Nam to the United Nations, Le Hoai Trung, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Hilde Johnson of Norway as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Michael Keating of the United Kingdom as his Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan. Mr. Keating will also serve as Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.

The new Permanent Representative of Israel to the United Nations, Ron Prosor, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The new Permanent Representative of Saudi Arabia to the United Nations, Abdallah Y. al-Mouallimi, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Arnauld Antoine Akodjènou of Benin as his Deputy Special Representative for Côte d’Ivoire. He will replace Abou Moussa of Chad, who has been appointed Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), based in Libreville, Gabon.