The United Nations has named Joseph Deiss as the next president of the its General Assembly.
The 64-year-old Swiss scholar, parliamentarian, and government minister was instrumental in leading Switzerland’s accession campaign to the U.N. in 2002.
Deiss will succeed Ali Treki. He will assume the post in mid-September at the start of the 65th session of the General Assembly.
He served as the Swiss foreign minister from 1999 and 2002 and was the president of the Swiss Confederation in 2004.
His first major event as General Assembly president will be the Millennium Development Goals summit in September. He intends to focus on global governance, reform of the Security Council, climate change and biodiversity, and food security for 2010 and 2011.
