Ban appoints Spanish national as head of UN support mission in Libya

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Mr. Bernardino León of Spain as his Special Representative for Libya.

Mr. León will also serve as the Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL).

He brings to the post years of political and diplomatic experience with the European Union (EU), including most recently as Special Representative for Libya and Special Representative for the Southern Mediterranean from 2011 to 2014.

Mr. León previously held several positions with the Spanish Government, including Secretary-General at the Prime Minister’s Office and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation.

He joined Spain’s diplomatic service in 1989 and was posted in Liberia, Algeria and Greece. Mr. León also served as Personal Adviser to the EU Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process from 1998 to 2001 and has been published extensively on the Arab world and its relationship with the West.

The new Special Representative will succeed Mr. Tarek Mitri of Lebanon on 1 September 2014.

In a statement, Mr. Ban’s spokesperson extended the UN chief’s gratitude to Mr. Mitri – who held the post since 2012 – for his dedication and leadership of UNSMIL.