Former Finnish Foreign Minister named UN S-G’s personal envoy to Sudan

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed for Finnish Foreign Minister MP and veteran negotiator Pekka Haavisto of Finland as his new Personal Envoy for Sudan. Haavisto succeeds Ramtane Lamamra, former Algerian Minister of Foreign Affairs, who was appointed to the post in November 2023.

The announcement by the Office of the Secretary-General on Tuesday, points out that Haavisto, who was first elected to the Finnish parliament in 1987, “has broad experience in mediation and negotiation processes in the Horn of Africa region and in the Middle East.  He also has experience with the United Nations.  From 2009 to 2017, he served as Special Representative to the Finnish Foreign Minister for mediation and crisis management in Africa.  From 2005 to 2007, Haavisto served as the European Union’s Special Representative for the Sudan, taking part in the Darfur peace negotiations,” the announcement says.

“During this time, he also served as a United Nations Senior Advisor to the Darfur peace process.  Haavisto worked for the United Nations Environment Programme from 1999 to 2005, including in Kosovo, Montenegro, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Afghanistan, Iraq, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Liberia and Sudan.  In addition to his native Finnish, he is fluent in Swedish and English.”

The UN S-G announcement continues that Haavisto brings over 40 years of experience in politics and international affairs, having held several ministerial positions in the government of Finland and senior roles with the European Union and the United Nations. From 2019 until 2023, Haavisto served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the government of Finland. Prior to this, from 2016 to 2019, he served as President of the European Institute of Peace.  He has also held the ministerial positions of Development Cooperation, State Ownership and the Environment.