Lamberto Zannier (Italy)

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon has appointed Mr. Lamberto Zannier as his Special Representative for the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) as of 20 June 2008.

Most recently, Mr. Zannier, who presently holds rank of Ambassador, dealt for the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with EU Common Foreign and Security Policy issues including, in particular, policy and operational aspects of Italy’s participation in the European Security and Defence Policy. From 2002 to 2006 he was Director of the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, with the responsibility, among others, to oversee the operation of some twenty OSCE civilian field operations in South East Europe, Eastern Europe, the Caucasus region and Central Asia. Before that, he was the Italian Representative in the Executive Council of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, also dealing with ICTY issues in the Hague.

Mr. Zannier’s extensive experience with politico-military issues goes back many years. In summer 1998 he was selected as the Chairman for the negotiations on the Adaptation of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe (CFE), which continued, under his responsibility, until the signature of the Agreement by OSCE Heads of State and Government at the Istanbul Summit of November 1999. From 1991 to 1997 he was seconded by the Italian Government to NATO as Head of the Disarmament, Arms Control and Cooperative Security Section, where he dealt with disarmament, non-proliferation, security cooperation and peacekeeping issues.

Lamberto Zannier joined the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 as a career diplomat and served in the Italian Embassies in Abu Dhabi, Vienna and The Hague. From 1976 to 1978 he worked for the FAO Legal Office in Rome.

He is author of various publications and articles on arms control, peacekeeping and security co-operation.
Lamberto Zannier holds a Doctorate in Law from the Trieste University. He is married and has two sons and two daughters.