SG to appoint new Middle East Coordinator
Posted: Thursday, 29 November 2007, New York
The Secretary-General has informed the Security Council of his intention to appoint Robert H. Serry of the Netherlands as the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and his Personal Representative to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority. In this capacity, Mr. Serry will be the Envoy of the Secretary-General to the Quartet.
The appointment of a new Special Coordinator comes at a critical juncture, as the Annapolis conference has created renewed momentum for peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Mr. Serry will play a pivotal role in coordinating all United Nations activities related to the Middle East peace process and in representing the Secretary-General in all arenas involving the parties and the international community.
Mr. Serry brings with him a distinguished career in diplomacy. In his last posting, he served as the Dutch Ambassador to Ireland. His previous professional experiences have included diplomatic postings in Bangkok, Moscow, United Nations in New York and Kiev. He has also held the position of Deputy Assistant Secretary-General for Crisis Management and Operations at NATO.
Mr. Serry has also led the Middle Eastern Affairs Division of the Dutch Foreign Ministry. In the framework of the Netherlands European Community presidency, he participated in the events leading to the Middle East Peace Conference held in Madrid in November 1991. He has also published several articles on political and peacekeeping topics ranging from the Middle East to Eastern Europe.
Mr. Serry was born in 1950 at Calcutta, is married and has three children. He graduated in Political Science (cum laude) at the University of Amsterdam.
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