Biographical Note

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced today the appointment of Ivan Šimonovic as Assistant Secretary-General to head the New York Office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR).

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced today the appointment of Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands as Assistant Secretary-General and Assistant Administrator and Director of the Partnerships Bureau of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Ms. Kaag will replace Bruce Jenks, who has retired from service after a long and distinguished career with UNDP.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Atul Khare of India as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. The new Assistant Secretary-General replaces Edmond Mulet of Guatemala, who was appointed on 1 April as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti for one year.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Kevin Kennedy of the United States as his Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

The new Permanent Representative of Poland to the United Nations, Witold Sobków, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The new Permanent Representative of Honduras to the United Nations, Mary Elizabeth Flores Flake, today presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Nigel Fisher of Canada as his Deputy Special Representative, Ad Interim, for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti.

The new Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the United Nations, Libran N. Cabactulan, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Tayé-Brook Zerihoun of Ethiopia as the Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs in the Department of Political Affairs. Mr. Zerihoun replaces Haile Menkerios of South Africa, who has been appointed as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Sudan for a one-year period.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon proposed for re-election by the General Assembly Achim Steiner as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for a four-year term. Mr. Steiner is currently serving as Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme for a four-year term -- 15 June 2006 through 14 June 2010.