Ban appoints veteran UN official Somavia as special adviser on inter-regional policy coordination

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Juan Somavía of Chile as his Special Adviser on Inter-regional Policy Cooperation.

Mr. Somavía, a former Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), will help develop a two year strategy of policy cooperation on selected strategic issues among the UN’s Regional Commissions. He will also contribute to facilitate interregional policy cooperation initiatives.

Mr. Somavía will perform his tasks based in Santiago, Chile, at the offices of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) on a part time basis.

As former ILO Director-General and Ambassador of Chile to the UN in New York, Mr. Somavía has a long and distinguished career in civil, political and international affairs, holding key positions at the UN such as Chair of the Preparatory Committee of the World Summit for Social Development and President of the UN Economic and Social Council.

He also served as President of the Security Council in April 1996 and October 1997.