Chambas appointed Head of UN Office for West Africa

UN APPOINTS MOHAMMED IBN CHAMBAS OF GHANA AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR WEST AFRICA

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Dr. Mohammed Ibn Chambas of Ghana as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).

Dr. Chambas,64, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Education in Ghana will succeed Said Djinnit of Algeria.

A release issued in New York on Friday by the Secretary General said Dr. Chambas brings to the position extensive experience after a long and distinguished career in both international and governmental forums, most recently as the African Union-United Nations Joint Special Representative for Darfur and Head of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur since December 20,2012.

From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Chambas was Secretary-General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States. Prior to that, he served as President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) from 2006 to 2009 and Executive Secretary from 2002 to 2005. A former Member of Parliament for Bimbilla,in northern Ghana he was involved in the ECOWAS mediation efforts in Liberia.

Dr. Chambas holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana. He also has a Master’s degree and a PhD from Cornell University, as well as a law degree from Case Western Reserve University, both institutions in the United States.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon has expressed gratitude to the out-going UNOWA representative Said Djinnit for his dedication and effective leadership of UNOWA during the period.