A new diplomat is taking over one of the toughest jobs at the United Nations.
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Norwegian Geir O. Pedersen as his next special envoy for Syria, the fourth person to fill the position since the conflict started in 2011.
Pedersen brings decades of political and diplomatic experience to the job and has a deep familiarity with the U.N. He previously served as U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon and director of the Asia-Pacific division in the Department of Political Affairs, among other roles. As a Norwegian diplomat, he has also served as Norway’s representative to the Palestinian Authority between 1998-2003, and its permanent representative to the U.N. until 2017. He was serving as ambassador to China when asked to take up his new U.N. role.