UN chief appoints Russian diplomat to help with demining and police affairs
Photo: Gleb Desyatnikov (Russian media)
UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Russian diplomat Gleb Desyatnikov as Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police in the Department of Peace Operations (DPO).
According to the statement, Desyatnikov will oversee the areas responsible for coordinating the UN’s mine action activities and police components deployed as part of peacekeeping missions around the world.
“Mr. Desyatnikov brings to the position more than 35 years of experience in international relations, political affairs and security issues across government, multilateral diplomacy and conflict-affected regions,” it is said.
The Secretary-General’s office noted that Desyatnikov has served as Russia’s ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan since 2018. Before that, from 2010 to 2018, he was director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
He also previously served as a senior adviser on Middle East and North Africa affairs at Russia’s Permanent Mission to the UN in New York from 2004 to 2010, and as head of the Iran and Jordan political section at the Russian Foreign Ministry from 2000 to 2004. He also held positions at Russian diplomatic missions.
In addition, between 1994 and 1997, Desyatnikov was deployed several times as part of the UN Special Commission on Iraq.
What else you need to know
Recent media reports said the Trump administration wants to put forward former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán as the next UN secretary-general. Washington reportedly hopes the candidate will receive support from Russia and China.
We also reported that a UN commission classified Russia’s attacks on energy infrastructure as war crimes, identifying the Kremlin leadership as responsible for the attacks.
