UN appoints deputy special envoy to Syria

The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of the Italian diplomat Claudio Cordone as the new Deputy Special Envoy of the United Nations to Syria, to effectively take up his duty on January 1, succeeding Najat Rochdi of Morocco.

According to the UN website, Guterres expressed his gratitude to Rochdi for her dedication and efforts during her tenure, and for her role in pivotal stages of the UN's efforts to support the political process in Syria.

Since 2022, Cordone has served as Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance at the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

He previously served as Director of UNRWA in Lebanon from 2017 to 2022, and led the Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Section at the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) from 2013 to 2017. He spent over 25 years at Amnesty International in various leadership positions, in addition to serving as head of the human rights office for the UN mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1997-1998).

With this appointment, Cordone is preparing to join the team of the UN Special Envoy to Syria, at a critical stage that demands extensive experience and deep understanding of human rights and humanitarian issues.

J.J