•  rome
• Wednesday, April 25, 2012
• Inter Press Service

Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, president of the current 66th session of the U.N. General Assembly, was unanimously elected chairman of the Board of Directors of Inter Press Service (IPS) news agency last week.

Ambassador al-Nasser replaces the former Director General of UNESCO, Mr. Federico Mayor Zaragoza, who hold the IPS Presidency between 2008 and 2012.

Former Permanent Representative of the State of Qatar to the United Nations, Ambassador al-Nasser has held key positions in the world body, including president of the Security Council, chairman of the Group of 77, President of the High Level Committee on South-South Cooperation and chairman of the U.N.'s Fourth Committee (Special Political Issues and Decolonization).

Addressing the General Assembly, the highest policy-making body at the United Nations, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon paid a glowing tribute to Ambassador al-Nasser: 'You have dealt with critical challenges, from war and instability to sustainable development and South-South cooperation.'

'And you have personally led the way on an issue that is of great concern to me and my wife - the world's response to autism,' he added.

When he accepted the presidency by acclamation last June, Ambassador al-Nasser said he will be presiding over the General Assembly, 'at a time when the world is facing enormous political, social, economic and environmental challenges.'

During his longstanding diplomatic career, Ambassador al- Nasser has served in several overseas embassies, including Lebanon, Pakistan, United Arab Emirates, and the United Nations.

Educated in Doha and Beirut, and holding a honorary doctorate in international affairs from the government of China through Chongqing University, he is a member of the Board of Advisors of the New York University Centre for Dialogues and Honorary Fellow of the Foreign Policy Association in New York.

Currently, Ambassador al-Nasser holds the rank of Under- Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Qatar.

During its almost 50 years of life, the IPS Presidency was held, among other leading figures, by the former President of Portugal, Mario Soares, and of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias; by the former Tanzania’s Finance Minister Amir Jamal, and the former Oil Minister of Venezuela, Manuel Perez Guerrero; the former Director General of UNESCO, Federico Mayor Zaragoza, and of FAO, Hernán Santa Cruz.

© Inter Press Service (2012) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service

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