Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS François Lonseny FALL of Guinea

SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR central african republic

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed François Lonseny Fall as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peace-Building Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA).

Since 2005, Mr. Fall has served as the Representative of the Secretary-General in Somalia and Head of the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS).

Mr. Fall, who is a national of Guinea, was Prime Minister of Guinea (February to April 2004) and served as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (2002-2004). He was his country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (2000-2002), Vice-President of the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly (2000), and President of the Security Council (March 2003).

Mr. Fall was a member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Ministerial Committee for Security and Mediation (2002-2004) and of the United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (2000-2002).

Earlier, he served as Director of the Department of Legal and Consular Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Conakry (1996-2000), as well as in various diplomatic posts in Paris, New York, Lagos, Cairo and Conakry (1982-1990).

Mr. Fall obtained his master’s degree in law from the University of Conakry (1976) and he was Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Law at the University of Conakry (1977-1979).

He was born in 1949.

* *** *

__________

* This supersedes Press Release SG/A/919-AFR/1151-BIO/3655 of 3 May 2005.