Deputy Minister Staffan de Mistura

Curriculum Vitae (summary)

Born on 25 January 1947 in Stockholm, Sweden.

Studies: Political Science Doctorate, University of Sapienza, Rome. Post graduate courses in “Hot Negotiations, Development Economics – Crisis Management in Conflict Areas”

Languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish and colloquial Arabic

Work Experience:

1971 – 1972
Southern Sudan: World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations, Project Officer. Main task: Organize convoys of food aid to villages isolated by internal conflict

1972 – 1974 
Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). United Nations. Fund raising officer for multi bilateral projects

1974 – 1976 
New York: FAO Liaison Officer with the United Nations

1976 – 1985 
Rome: Deputy Chief of Cabinet of Director – General of FAO

1985 – 1986 
Sudan – UNICEF: Head of national vaccination campaign: during that period rate of coverage increased from 32 per cent to 71 per cent

1986 – 1987 
Sudan WFP: Director of Operations

[1984            
Special Assignment: Ethiopia. Organized and implemented operation “San Bernardo” with a massive airdrop operation using both NATO and Warsaw Pact air assets to reach 870,000 starving Ethiopians]

[1986            
Special Assignment: Sudan. Organized food airlift to besieged city of Juba (with the assistance of Mother Theresa of Calcutta)]

1987-1988    
On loan from the UN to World Wildlife Fund of Italy (WWF) as Director General. Main task: to re-launch the environmental campaign of WWF and its fund raising – in one year. With three different campaigns membership went up from 183,000 to 376,000.

1988-1997    
On various troubleshooting assignments for the UN System including:

• Solving the Embassy crisis in Tirana (Albania) when 3,200 people occupied four foreign Embassies to escape from the communist regime 
• Organizing food aid operation in Afghanistan to populations affected by Soviet/Mujahidin conflict 
• Organizing assistance to Kurdish population after the Gulf war 
• Team Leader of Special Mission searching for Shi’ a population escaped in Southern Iraq marshlands after the bloody repression by Saddam Hussein following the first Gulf war.  
• Team Leader of UNICEF Mission to break the siege of Dubrovnik ( which was besieged for three months and 4,570 people were evacuated). 
• Team Leader of UNICEF’s winter relief operation to assist the people of the besieged city of Sarajevo 
• Director of Public Affairs and UNICEF Team Leader in Somalia during the humanitarian crisis and UN intervention in 1992-1993 Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq

1997-1999  
Rome: Director of UN Information Center.

• During that period was mainly involved in Missions in Kosovo and acted as UN Civilian Administrator of the contested and volatile city of Metrovica 
• Team Leader of the Special Mission to Iraq related to the “Crisis of the Presidential Palaces”

2000-2004     
Personal Representative of the Secretary-General in Lebanon Main task: Preventive diplomacy in tense southern Lebanon between Syria/Hezbollah, Israel

2006-2007     
Executive Director of the UN System Staff College in Turin, Italy Main task: Train UN Staff prior to their assignments in conflict environment

2007-2009
UN Special Representative of Secretary-General in Iraq In charge of all UN Operations in the country (730 staff members and 11 locations)

2009-2010
Rome Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme

2010-2011, Kabul –Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Afghanistan: In charge of all United Nations operations in that country.