UN Chief Names New Head of UN Mission in W.Sahara

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Friday announced the appointment of Wolfgang Weisbrod- Weber of Germany as his special representative and head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara ( MINURSO). The new special representative succeeds Hany Abdel-Azizof Egypt, who completed his assignment on April 30, said Ban's spokesman. " The secretary-general is grateful for his strong leadership and perseverance." "Mr. Weisbrod-Weber brings 28 years of experience with the United Nations and a strong background in peacekeeping direction and management, both in headquarters and in field operations," the spokesman said. "Under challenging conditions, he has promoted political dialogue, progress in the rule of law, and post-conflict reconciliation." While serving since 2008 as the director of the Asia and Middle East Division of the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Weisbrod-Weber was twice assigned as deputy special representative ad interim of the secretary-general for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in 2009 and in 2010. Weisbrod-Weber also served, from 2006 to 2008, as chief of staff for the United Nations Mission in East Timor (UNMIT), and as the director of the Europe and Latin American Division of the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations from 2004 to 2006. Previously, he held various appointments within the UN Secretariat and in United Nations field operations. Weisbrod-Weber was educated in Germany and the United Kingdom, and has a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the Freie Universitat Berlin. Born in Hanau, Germany, in 1955, he is married and has three children.