UN official in charge of Afghan reconstruction named chief of UN project office

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appointed the deputy envoy in charge of reconstruction in Afghanistan as the next head of the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS), the branch of the world body that manages project resources to help developing nations and countries in transition.

Nigel Fisher, a national of Canada, was appointed at the Assistant Secretary-General level and replaces Reinhard Helmke as UNOPS Executive Director. Since February 2002, Mr. Fisher has been serving as Mr. Annan's Deputy Special Representative for Relief, Recovery and Reconstruction in Afghanistan.

Earlier in his career, he was the Regional Director for the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) in South Asia between 1999-2002. Mr. Fisher worked with UNICEF for over 20 years in Africa, Asia and the Middle East, as well as at the agency's headquarters in New York.