Appointment of Robert H. Serry as UN Special Coordinator for Middle East peace process – Letter from SecGen to SecCo President

    Letter dated 28 November 2007 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council

  I wish to inform the Security Council of my intention to appoint Mr. Robert H. Serry of the Netherlands as the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and my Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority, succeeding Mr. Michael C. Williams. Mr. Serry will act as my Envoy to the Quartet.

  Mr. Serry is a career diplomat with over two decades of experience. Most recently, he served as the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Ireland. His previous professional experience has also included diplomatic postings in Bangkok, Moscow, New York and Kyiv. In addition, Mr. Serry has held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Crisis Management and Operations at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). He led the Middle Eastern Affairs Division of the Dutch Foreign Ministry at the time of the Madrid Conference in 1991.

  It is my intention that the new Special Coordinator should be guided by the principles set out in relevant Security Council resolutions and in the road map of the Quartet, as endorsed by the Security Council in its resolution 1515 (2003). I am also asking that he work to consolidate the efforts of the United Nations to support the political process that was announced at the conference held in Annapolis, United States of America, on 27 November 2007.

  The Special Coordinator’s functions and responsibilities will include coordination of all United Nations activities on the ground related to the Middle East peace process, with the aim of ensuring that the United Nations contribution is fully integrated and coordinated.

  As the Special Coordinator, Mr. Serry will represent me in all meetings and structures involving the parties and the international community, and provide political guidance to the United Nations family.

(Signed) Ban Ki-moon

____________