New York

20 June 2005

Statement Attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on appointment of his Special Envoy for Zimbabwe

The Secretary-General has appointed Mrs. Anna Kajumulo Tibaijuka, the Executive Director of UN-HABITAT as his Special Envoy for Human Settlement Issues in Zimbabwe. President Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has agreed that the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General should visit the country as soon as possible to study the scope of the recent eviction of illegal dwellers, informal traders and squatters, and the humanitarian impact it has had on the affected population. Mrs. Tibaijuka will visit Zimbabwe shortly, and will prepare a thorough report on the situation.