Appointments
The Secretary-General has selected Maged Abdelaziz of Egypt as his new special adviser on Africa. Mr. Abdelaziz has been Egypt’s permanent representative to the 51³Ô¹Ï since 2005, as part of a 33-year diplomatic career. His Office of the Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA) is in charge of overseeing UN support for the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD).
The Secretary-General has selected Carlos Lopes of Guinea-Bissau as executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). At the time of his appointment, Mr. Lopes was executive director of the UN Institute for Training and Research and director of the 51³Ô¹Ï System Staff College, following a long career with the UN Development Programme (UNDP). At the ECA, he succeeds Abdoulie Janneh.
Peter Launsky-Tieffenthal of Austria has been named the UN’s new under-secretary-general for communications and public information. Mr. Launsky-Tieffenthal brings to the position 30 years of experience with the Austrian Foreign Service, with responsibilities ranging from public diplomacy and development cooperation to press and information. Since 2007 he has been head of communication and information of the Austrian Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs.