United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Mr. Nigel Fisher of Canada as his acting Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (Minustah).

Mr. Fisher, who since 2010 has served as Deputy Special Representative, United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Haiti, succeeds Mariano Fernández of Chile.

The acting Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the Minustah, brings to the position a thorough knowledge of the political, security and socio-economic situation in Haiti. Immediately after the January 2010 earthquake, he led the multidisciplinary United Nations team which developed the Haiti Post Disaster Needs Assessment with national authorities. He also has extensive experience in the fields of international development, human security, mediation and conflict resolution. Having joined the Organization in 1977, Mr. Fisher has previously served as Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services, as Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and as President and Chief Executive Officer of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Canada. He has also been UNICEF’s Director of Emergency Operations, Regional Director for South Asia, Representative in several countries and was Deputy Executive Secretary of the World Conference on Education for All.

Mr. Fisher has lived and worked in a dozen developing countries in Asia, the Middle East and Africa, a number of them in the midst of, or emerging from, civil conflict. He has devoted much of his career to the protection of civilians in armed conflict and particularly of children affected by armed conflict.

He holds an honorary Doctor of Laws degree and a Master’s degree in Political Science. He has received a number of awards, including Canada’s Meritorious Service Cross. A Canadian national, he is married and has two daughters.

HL/ HaitiLibre