Ghassan Salamé ( ar, غسان سلامة; born 1951) is a

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

-based Lebanese

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, ...

. He served as the Lebanese Minister of Culture from 2000 to 2003. He was the Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) and professor of

International Relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such a ...

at Sciences Po. Salamé served as the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya from 2017 to 2020.

Early life and education

Ghassan Salamé was born in 1951 in

Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...

Lebanon Lebanon ( , ar, لُبْنَان, translit=lubnān, ), officially the Republic of Lebanon () or the Lebanese Republic, is a country in Western Asia. It is located between Syria to Lebanon–Syria border, the north and east and Israel to Blue ...

, originally from

Kfardebian Kfardebian ( ar, كفر دبيان; also spelled ''Kfar Dibiane'' and also known as Moucha'a Keserwan) is a municipality in the Keserwan District of the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate in Lebanon. It is located 45 kilometers north of Beirut. Its ave ...

. He studied at ( Saint Joseph University) and specialized in public international law (Diploma of Advanced Studies, DEA,

University of Paris , image_name = Coat of arms of the University of Paris.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of Arms , latin_name = Universitas magistrorum et scholarium Parisiensis , motto = ''Hic et ubique terrarum'' (Latin) , mottoeng = Here and a ...

), as well as in literature (PhD in humanities, Paris III Sorbonne-Nouvelle University) and political science (PhD, Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University). Salamé is a

Melkite Greek Catholic el, Μελχιτική Ελληνική Καθολική Εκκλησία , image = Melkite Greek Catholic Church, Damascus, Syria.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = , abbreviatio ...

Career

Ghassan Salamé taught international relations at the American University of Beirut and Saint Joseph University in Beirut and, later, at the University of Paris. In 2000–2003, Salamé was Lebanon’s Minister of Culture, as well as Chairman and Spokesman of the Organization Committee for the Arab Summit (March 2002) and of the Francophone Summit (October 2002) in Beirut. Salamé presently sits on the board of the International Crisis Group (Brussels), the International Peace Institute (New York), the Open Society Foundations, the

Bibliotheca Alexandrina The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin for "Library of Alexandria"; arz, مكتبة الإسكندرية ', ) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library ...

(Egypt), and several other non-profit organizations. He was also the senior advisor to the

United Nations Secretary-General The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations. The role of the secretary-g ...

from 2003 to 2006 and again in 2012. He was the political advisor to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in 2003, where he played a critical role in bringing together Iraqi factions. He is the chairman of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture. Salamé also sat on the Board of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue from 2011 to 2015. In 2016, he joined the Commission on the Rakhine State (Myanmar), which was chaired by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan. Salame is a Member of the

Global Leadership Foundation The Global Leadership Foundation (GLF) is a non-profit, non-governmental organization consisting of a network of former heads of state/government and other distinguished leaders (GLF Members), who seek to assist developing countries in improving gov ...

(chaired by

FW de Klerk Frederik Willem de Klerk (, , 18 March 1936 – 11 November 2021) was a South African politician who served as state president of South Africa from 1989 to 1994 and as deputy president from 1994 to 1996 in the democratic government. As South ...

) that works to support democratic leadership, prevent and resolve conflict through mediation and promote good governance in the form of democratic institutions, open markets, human rights and the rule of law. On 22 June 2017, Salamé was appointed Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), replacing

Martin Kobler Martin Kobler (born 1953 in Stuttgart, Germany) is a German former career diplomat who served as German Ambassador to Egypt, Iraq and Pakistan. He served as Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of United Nation ...

. On 5 August 2017, he made his first official visit to Libya after assuming the role of the head of United Nations Support Mission in Libya by arriving at Mitiga Airport in Tripoli. During 2018–2019, he mediated between political and social groups in Libya, with the aim of holding a meeting in

Ghadames Ghadames or Ghadamis ( Berber: ''ʕadémis''; ar, غدامس, Libyan vernacular: ''ɣdāməs'', Latin: ''Cidamus, Cydamus'', it, Gadames) is an oasis Berber town in the Nalut District of the Tripolitania region in northwestern Libya. The ...

called the Libyan National Conference, for organising

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold Public administration, public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative ...

and to revive the Libyan peace process. In February 2020, he eventually brought delegations from the two main sides in Libya’s conflict to Geneva for peace talks, but key representatives suspended their involvement. Shortly after, shelling in Tripoli had again intensified into some of the heaviest bombardments since Salame brokered a ceasefire earlier that year. On 2 March 2020, Salamé resigned as the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya citing stress and health concerns. In a statement on

Twitter Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...

, he said he had been frustrated with foreign powers, particularly

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

and

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...

for covertly backing

Khalifa Haftar Field Marshal Khalifa Belqasim Haftar ( ar, خليفة بلقاسم حفتر, Ḵalīfa Bilqāsim Ḥaftar; born 7 November 1943) is a Libyan-American politician, military officer, and the commander of the Tobruk-based Libyan National Army (LN ...

's forces in the

civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

Bibliography

Ghassan Salamé is the author of (inter alia) ''Quand l’Amérique refait le monde''; ''Appels d'empire: ingérences et résistances à l'âge de la mondialisation''; ''State and Society in the Arab Levant'', and editor (inter alia) of Democracy Without Democrats: Politics of Liberalization in the Arab and Muslim World; The Politics of Arab Integration and The Foundations of the Arab State. His essays have been published in Foreign Policy, Revue française de science politique, European Journal of International Affairs, The Middle East Journal and other scholarly journals. Selected Public Speeches and Articles
Les raisons des révoltes arabes
Le Monde, 8 février 2011.
Ghassan Salamé, poisson pilote des élites émergentes : l’ancien conseiller spécial de Kofi Annan, alors secrétaire général de l’ONU, dirige aujourd’hui la nouvelle Paris School of International Affairs de Sciences-Po
La Croix, October 21, 2010.
Discours à l’ambassade du Qatar à Paris
Cérémonie honorant Hubert Védrine et Ghassan Salamé, September 22, 2010.
Middle Easts, old and new
presented at the Oil and Money Conference, London, October 21, 2009.
A Clash of Norms
speech at the UN General Assembly on the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, New York, December 10, 2008.

Other activities

* International Crisis Group (ICG), Member of the Board of Trustees (2004-2016, since 2020) *

European Council on Foreign Relations The European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) is a pan-European think tank with offices in seven European capitals. Launched in October 2007, it conducts research on European foreign and security policy and provides a meeting space for decisi ...

(ECFR), Member *

Paris School of International Affairs The Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) is a graduate school of Sciences Po (also referred to as the ''Institut d'études politiques de Paris'') based in Paris, France, and it is generally considered to be one of the top rated and most ...

(PSIA), Member of the Strategic Committee * Reporters Without Borders (RWB), Member of the Emeritus BoardEmeritus Board
Reporters Without Borders (RWB).

Honours and awards

* 2004 : Arab cultural personality (Dubai) * 2003 : Knight of the

Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...

(France) * 2003 : Grand prix de la francophonie (France) * 1996 : Phoenix Prize (Lebanon) * 1996 : Special Prize from the Association of French Language Writers (Lebanon)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salame, Ghassan 1951 births Living people People from Beirut Lebanese Melkite Greek Catholics Lebanese political scientists Lebanese expatriates in France International relations scholars Academic staff of Sciences Po Columbia University faculty Saint Joseph University alumni University of Paris alumni American University of Beirut faculty Saint Joseph University faculty University of Paris faculty Special Representatives of the Secretary-General of the United Nations Second Libyan Civil War Special Envoys of the Secretary-General of the United Nations