Iqbal Riza (EEK-bahl Ree-zah) (born 20 May 1934 in

Lonavla Lonavala ( ISO: Loṇāvaḷā) is a hill station town and a Municipal Council in the Pune district, Maharashtra, India. It is about west of Pune and to the east of Mumbai. It is known for its production of the hard candy ''chikki'' and is also ...

, India) is a retired

Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

i diplomat. He is currently a special adviser to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and has worked for Spanish Foundation Concordia 21. He served as the

Chef de Cabinet In several French-speaking countries and international organisations, a (French; literally 'head of office') is a senior civil servant or official who acts as an aide or private secretary to a high-ranking government figure, typically a minist ...

( Chief of Staff) to

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 ...

Kofi Annan Kofi Atta Annan (; 8 April 193818 August 2018) was a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh secretary-general of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. Annan and the UN were the co-recipients of the 2001 Nobel Peace Prize. He was the founde ...

from his appointment at the beginning of Annan's term in January 1997 until his retirement January 15, 2005. Previously, he acted as Assistant Secretary-General in the

Department of Peacekeeping Operations The Department of Peace Operations (DPO) (French: ''Département des opérations de maintien de la paix'') is a department of the United Nations charged with the planning, preparation, management and direction of UN peacekeeping operations. Pre ...

starting March 1993. During this time, from 1996 to 1997, he also concurrently served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of the

United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina The United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH) was an international organization formed under the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1035 on 21 December 1995. It completed its mandate on 31 December 2002, when it was succeed ...

(UNMIBH). Earlier, from 1991 to 1993, he was Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of the United Nations Observer Mission in El Salvador (ONUSAL). In addition, he served in various capacities within the United Nations, including Chief of Mission of the United Nations Transition Team in El Salvador (March–August 1990), Chief of the United Nations Observer Mission for verification of the electoral process in Nicaragua (ONUVEN) (August 1989 - February 1990), Director of the Division for Political and General Assembly Affairs (1988–1989), Director of the Office for Special Political Affairs (1983–1988), Principal Officer in the United Nations Department of Public Information (1980–1982), and Secretary of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (1978–1980). Briefly before the genocide in Rwanda, in January and February 1994, Riza played a controversial role as he and Kofi Annan (who directed the UN peacekeeping operations) rejected or ignored continuous requests of the Canadian commander of

UNAMIR The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was established by United Nations Security Council Resolution 872 on 5 October 1993. It was intended to assist in the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed on 4 August 1993, wh ...

Roméo Dallaire Roméo Antonius Dallaire (born June 25, 1946) is a Canadian humanitarian, author, retired senator and Canadian Forces lieutenant-general. Dallaire served as force commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda ...

, for a more active role of the UN peacekeeping troops UNAMIR in order to prevent a bloodshed. In Rwanda, approximately 800,000 people have been killed within 100 days. Prior to joining the United Nations, Riza received a graduate degree from the

Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy is the graduate school of international affairs of Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts. The School is one of America's oldest graduate schools of international relations and is well-ranked in it ...

and served with Pakistan's Foreign Service from 1958 to 1977.

References

* "Annan announces retirement of long-time senior advisor Iqbal Riza". '' UN News Center''. December 22, 2004.

External links

Biography

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...

News Center Living people 1934 births Muhajir people Pakistani diplomats Pakistani officials of the United Nations {{UN-bio-stub