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Joachim Rücker (Germany)

Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Kosovo

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Joachim Rücker of Germany as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) as of 1 September 2006.

Most recently, Mr. Rücker was the Deputy Special Representative and Head of the Economic Reconstruction component in UNMIK. He had previously served as the Commissioner for Finance and Head of the Budget and Finance Division at the Federal Foreign Office in Berlin and held various postings in the Federal Foreign Office in Bonn and German embassies abroad, including Dar es Salaam, Detroit (Consulate-General) and Vienna. Mr. Rücker was also the Ambassador and Deputy High Representative for Administration and Finance in the Office of the High Representative in Sarajevo and the Mayor of the city of Sindelfingen, Germany.

Mr. Rücker has a doctoral degree in international economics and has previously served as a foreign policy adviser to the Social Democratic parliamentary group in the German Bundestag.

Born on 30 May 1951, Mr. Rücker has two daughters and one son.

Søren Jessen-Petersen

Mr. Jessen-Petersen was named Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and head of UNMIK on 16 June 2004. He has enjoyed a long and distinguished career as an international civil servant, working with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the European Union and the United Nations Secretariat. He served as the European Union Special Representative in Skopje from February to June 2004. In this post he was responsible for establishing and maintaining close contact between the European Union and the Government of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), as well as the other parties involved in the peace process.

Prior to this he served as the Chairman of the European Union Stability Pact’s Migration, Asylum, Refugees Regional Initiative (MARRI), where he initiated, developed and directed a strategy to manage population movements in the Western Balkans. Mr. Jessen-Petersen also chaired the MARRI Steering Committee, composed of the States of the Western Balkans, European Union member States, other State members of the Stability Pact, relevant international organizations, such as the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration and the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and non-governmental organizations.

Mr. Jessen-Petersen served as Assistant High Commissioner at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva from January 1998 to December 2001 in which capacity he headed all UNHCR operations, directly supervising all UNHCR global bureaus and undertaking over 80 missions to numerous field offices.

Prior to this he served as Director of the UNHCR Liaison Office at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, from August 1994 until January 1998. As such, he functioned as the High- Commissioner’s liaison with the Secretary-General’s Office, as well as other United Nations Departments. He represented the High Commissioner as a member of various committees and meetings at the United Nations Headquarters, including the Secretary-General’s Steering Committee on United Nations Reform and the Executive Committees on Peace and Security, and Humanitarian Affairs.

From December 1995 to September 1996, Mr. Jessen-Petersen served as the High Commissioner’s Special Envoy to the former Yugoslavia (based in Sarajevo), where he was responsible for developing the strategy for and overseeing the implementation of Annex VII of the Dayton Peace Agreement and directed a $350 million humanitarian operation for approximately four million refugees, displaced persons, returnees and other victims, and managing more than 500 UNHCR staff.

Between 1990 and 1993, Mr. Jessen-Petersen served as the Chef de Cabinet of the High Commissioner in UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva. As such, he served as main political and diplomatic advisor to the High Commissioner. Simultaneously, he was the Director of External Relations (1992-1994) and directed UNHCR’s external contacts with governments and other organizations, fund raising and public information activities during a period when UNHCR was mobilizing some one billion US dollars annually.

In 1989, he served, on secondment from UNHCR, as Special Adviser to the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and as a member of the Secretary-General’s Task Force on the process leading to the independence of Namibia.

In 1986, Mr. Jessen-Petersen opened the UNHCR Regional Office for Nordic countries where, based in Stockholm, he served as the High Commissioner’s Regional Representative until 1989, covering Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden. His other assignments include: Chairman of UNHCR’s Appointments, Promotion and Postings Board (1993); Executive Secretary of the Intergovernmental Conference on Asylum-Seekers and Refugees in Europe (1985); Executive Secretary of the Second International Conference on Assistance to Refugees in Africa (ICARA II) from 1983 to 1984; Chief of Secretariat of UNHCR’s Executive Committee (1981-1982). He also served with UNHCR in Africa (Zambia, Egypt and Ethiopia) from 1972 to 1977.

Mr. Jessen-Petersen is a lawyer and journalist by training, and has numerous publications. He is married and has four children.

HOLKERI, Harri Hermani

Prime Minister of Finland 1987 - 91
President of The 55th General Assembly of The United Nations 2000-2001

President of The Finnish National Commission for UNESCO 2003 –
Member of the Board of International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (IDEA) 2003 –

Member of the Board of The Bank of Finland 1978 -97

Member of The International Body on Decommissioning in Northern Ireland 1995 - 96
One of the three Independent Chairmen in The All Party Talks
in Northern Ireland 1996 - 98

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Finnair 1994 -97
Chairman of the Board of Finnair 1997 - 2002
Chairman of the Board of Helsinki Telephone Company Ltd 1981 – 2000

Chairman of the Supervisory Board of VALMET Corporation 1980 -1994
Member of the Supervisory Board of Ilmarinen Pensions Insurance Company 1971 - 2003
Member of the Supervisory Board of Fortum Corporation 2000 –
Chairman of the Levi Northstar Company 1996 –
Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Finnish Fair Corporation 1997 -
Member of the Board of the Mortgage Bank Bank of Finland 1971- 1979
Member of the Supervisory Board Enso-Gutzeit Corporation 1977 – 1979
Member of the Supervisory Board of Kemi Corporation 1978 – 1983
Member of the Supervisory Board of Veitsiluoto Corporation 1982 – 1987
Member of the Board of Tervakoski Company 1979 – 1986
Member of the Supervisory Board of SALAMA Insurance Company 1985 -1994
Chairman of the Board of Sponda Corporation 1991 – 1996
Member of the Auditing Board of United Papermills Corporation 1981- 1988
Chairman of the Auditing Board of Repola Corporation 1988 – 1993

Chairman of the Paasikivi Society 1994 – 2000

Member of the Helsinki City Council 1969 – 88
Chairman " 1981 – 87

Member of the Parliament of Finland 1970 – 78
- Member of the Foreign Affairs Committee 1970-78
- Chairman of the Parliamentary Supervisors of The Bank of Finland 1971 – 78
- Vice Chairman of the EFTA Parliamentarians 1974 – 75
- Chairman " 1976
- Member of Nordic Council 1972 - 1978

Member of the Finnish Delegation to the UN General Assembly 1963 – 65
Chairman of The National Coalition Party (Conservative)1971 – 79
Secretary General " 1965 – 71

Military rank: Major (in the reserve)
Orders: Among others:
Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
Cross of Liberty 1.class with star
Honorary Knight Commander of The Order of The British Empire
Publications: Itsenäisiä ajatuksia 1977; Yhteisellä linjalla – suomalaisia ajatuksia 1981
Personal data: born 6.1.1937, married to Marja-Liisa
Lepistö in 1960, father of a son and a daughter
and grandfather of six grandchildren,

Graduated as M.Sc. (Pol.), University of Helsinki 1962

Doctor of Laws honoris causa Calgary University 2003

Leisure interests: Outdoor

Michael Steiner (Germany)

Born on 28 November 1949 in Munich

1969 - Gained higher education entrance qualification in Munich

1970 - 1977 Read law in Munich, during which studied law in Paris from 1973 to 1974

1977 - First State Law Examination (passed with distinction), Munich


1977 - 1980 - Practical legal training in Bavaria; junior lecturer on International Law, University of MunichMunich and Paris

1980 Second State Law Examination (corresponds to Bar Examination), (passed with distinction), Munich

1981- 1983 Foreign Service trainng attaché (passed examination with distinction)

1983 - 1986 Desk officer in General Internationmal Law Division of the Legal Directorate-General at the Federal Foreign Office, Bonn

1986 - 1989 Political desk, Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations, New York

1989 - 1991 Head of the Press SEction at the German Embassy, Prague

1991 - 1992 Head of Liaison Office for German Humanitarian Aid, Zagreb

1992 - 1994 Foreign Office, Bonn: Head of coordination unit for multilateral peace efforts

1994 - 1995 Head of special section "International Peace Efforts in Former Yugoslavia"

1994 - 1995 German Member of the "Contact Group"

1996 - 1997 Principal Deputy High Representative, Sarajevo, BiH

1998 - Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to the Czech Republic, Prague

1998 - 2001 Foreign and Security Policy Advisor to the Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Berlin

Nov. 2001 - Jan. 2002 - Director General in the Federal Foreign Office, Berlin

Unmarried, no children

Hans Haekkerup (Dennmark)

Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK)
"The Special Representative of the Secretary-General as the head of UNMIK, is the highest international civilian official in Kosovo. He will enjoy the maximum civilian executive powers envisaged and vested in him by the Security Council in its resolution 1244 (1999), and will also be the final authority on their interpretation. . . . , the Special Representative will facilitate a political process designed to determine Kosovo's future status, taking into account the Rambouillet accords." (Secretary-General in his report on UNMIK, 12 July 1999.)

Biography

Hans Haekkerup held the post of Minister for Defence of Denmark since January 1993. Since graduating in 1973 with a Master of Arts and Economics from the University of Copenhagen, Mr. Haekkerup served in a variety of government posts -- as Secretary and Head of Section at the Ministry of Social Affairs (1973-1976), as Head of Section at the Ministry of Education (1976-1977) and Head of Section at the Ministry of Labour (1977-1979). He was employed as Professor at the Danish School of Administration (1977-1980) and Economist at the Civil Servants Organization (1981-1985).

He was elected a Member of Parliament in 1979 and has held several committee memberships on committees such as the Committee on Danish Security Policy, the Committee on Greenlandic Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Policy. He was a member of the Defence Committee from 1985 to 1993, and served as Chairman of the Defence Committee from 1991 to 1993.

Hans Haekkerup was born on 3 December 1945 in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. He is married to Susanne, with whom he has one son. He has three sons from his first marriage.

Appointment

Top of page

HANS HAEKKERUP APPOINTED AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL IN KOSOVO (Press Release SG/A/758 - 8 December 2000).

Following is a statement issued today by the Office of the Spokesman of Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
Secretary-General Kofi Annan today announced his intention to appoint Hans Haekkerup of Denmark to replace Dr. Bernard Kouchner as his Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo.

In a massive international effort to turn war-devastated Kosovo into a functioning democratic society, four international organizations and agencies work together in one operation under the leadership of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General.

Hans Haekkerup currently serves as Minister for Defence of Denmark, a post he has held since January 1993. Since graduating in 1973 with a Master of Arts and Economics from the University of Copenhagen, Mr. Haekkerup served in a variety of government posts -- as Secretary and Head of Section at the Ministry of Social Affairs (1973-1976), as Head of Section at the Ministry of Education (1976-1977) and Head of Section at the Ministry of Labour (1977-1979). He was employed as Professor at the Danish School of Administration (1977-1980) and Economist at the Civil Servants Organization
(1981-1985).

He was elected a Member of Parliament in 1979 and has held several committee memberships on committees such as the Committee on Danish Security Policy, the Committee on Greenlandic Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on Foreign Policy. He was a member of the Defence Committee from 1985 to 1993, and served as Chairman of the Defence Committee from 1991 to 1993.

Hans Haekkerup was born on 3 December 1945 in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. He is married to Susanne, with whom he has one son. He has three sons from his first marriage.

Mr. Haekkerup is expected to take up his new functions in Pristina in January 2001.

Bernard Kouchner (France)

Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the head of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) from 15 July 1999 through 12 January 2001

Biography

Founder, organizer and President of Medecins sans Frontieres, Dr. Kouchner was France's Minister of Health until picked by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as his Special Representative for Kosovo.

In the humanitarian field, Dr. Kouchner founded Medecins sans Frontieres, a Paris-based non-profit humanitarian organization made up of voluntary medical personnel who contribute their time and expertise in assisting in situations of emergency or inadequate medical care in the developing world. In that capacity he travelled extensively in all the troubled areas of the world. He organized humanitarian operations to Somalia, El Salvador, Lebanon and Viet Nam. In addition to those countries, his humanitarian assignments took him to Cambodia, Thailand, Uruguay, Peru, Guatemala and Honduras.

Dr. Kouchner has played an important role on the French political scene for the past 20 years, holding a number of ministerial positions in different French Governments. Most recently he served as France's Minister of Health, and before that as Minister of State for Humanitarian Action (1988-1991) and Minister of State for Social Integration (1988).

Dr. Kouchner is the author of several books, and co-founder of the news magazines "L' Evenement" and "Actuel". He is the recipient of several human rights awards, including the Dag Hammarskjold Prize and the Prix Europa.

A medical doctor by profession, Dr. Kouchner was born in 1939 in Avignon. He is the father of four children.