Annan appoints new Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appointed an experienced Japanese diplomat, who has also held high-level posts within the UN system, as the new Under-Secretary General for Disarmament Affairs, a spokesman said.

Nobuaki Tanaka, who has been serving as Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, will take up his new post on 6 April, the spokesman said, adding that in his career in the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Mr. Tanaka dealt with key security issues, including the Korean Peninsula leading into Six Party Talks.

He joined the Foreign Service in 1970, and is a seasoned diplomat with a variety of experience, not only dealing with bilateral political and economic issues, but also in working within the UN system.

Mr. Tanaka served as Assistant Director General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (1994-1997) in charge of Management and Administration as well as being an Information Officer in the United Nations from 1980 to 1983.

He also has a broad academic background, acquiring an MA from King’s College, Cambridge University, United Kingdom, as well as a Law Degree from Tokyo University. He served as a Senior Research Fellow at the International Institute of Peace Studies, Japan, and was a professor teaching Security issues at Doshisha Women’s College, also in Japan.

During his assignment in Pakistan, the 59-year old diplomat endeavoured to strengthen bilateral cooperation particularly in regard to Export Control and non-proliferation of sensitive technology and goods.