UN chief appoints seasoned British humanitarian advocate

The United Nations secretary-general, Ban Ki-moon, has appointed Stephen O’Brien of the United Kingdom as Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (Ocha) and Emergency Relief Coordinator. O’Brien succeeds Valerie Amos, also of the UK, and the Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude to Amos for her outstanding services to the UN and the humanitarian community, having tirelessly advocated for the people in greatest need. In a statement, released on Monday, Ban’s spokesperson said O’Brien brings extensive experience in multilateral diplomacy and advocacy to the post, together with international leadership and management. Much of that, it noted, came in the coordination of collective action within the humanitarian community, notably in the fight against malaria and neglected tropical diseases, as well as in his significant contribution to the UK’s efforts to achieve the United Nations-endorsed target of contributing 0.7 per cent of gross domestic product to official development assistance (ODA). As a strong humanitarian advocate with more than 20 years of experience in international development and health care, O’Brien is expected to bring innovative and strategic ideas to the role. A member of the UK Parliament, notable among O’Brien’s posts are his time as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development between 2010 and 2012, and his founding and chairing of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Malaria and Neglected Tropical Diseases, since 2004. He served as the UK Prime Minister’s Envoy and Special Representative for the Sahel since 2012, chaired the Malaria Consortium NGO between 2006 and 2010, and is Director-Trustee of the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. In addition to his political and non-governmental roles, O’Brien has also served as a Senior Executive at global industrial manufacturer, Redland. Recently, he won the 2014 Champions Action Award for his leadership in mobilising the campaigns against malaria and neglected tropical diseases, having undertaken multiple pro bono civil society engagements, notably as Global Advocate for the United Nations/WHO “Roll Back Malaria Partnership,” and Patron of Malaria No More UK. O’Brien, a qualified and formerly practising solicitor, holds a degree in Law from Cambridge University.

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UN chief appoints seasoned British humanitarian advocate