By Libya Herald reporter.
Tunis, 8 November 2016:
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed a new deputy head of the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) to succeed Ali H. Al-Za’tari of Jordan. She is of Maria do Valle Ribeiro. Although born in 1957 in Portugal her home is now Irish.
Ms do Valle Ribeiro, who has worked some 30 years in the UN and in international NGOs in development and humanitarian areas, will also act as the UN Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Libya.
According to a UN statement, she served most recently as Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Guinea-Bissau (2014-2016) and as United Nations Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Angola (2010-2014) as well as Mauritania (2008-2010).
Al-Za’tari, whom Ban Ki-moon thanked for his service during his time in Libya and for his contribution to the coordination of the United Nations system in the country, has moved to take up the post of UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria. But two months on he is still awaiting approval from the Assad government there.
