UN Secretary-General's New Special Envoy on MyanmarNoeleen Heyzer (Source: theswitzerlandtimes.com) The first woman to serve as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, between 2007 and 2014, Heyzer focused on regional cooperation for a more resilient Asia-Pacific, founded on shared prosperity, social equity and sustainable development. In the period 2008-2009, she worked closely with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Government of Myanmar and the UN in the recovery efforts following Cyclone Nargis and led a dialogue with Myanmar’s leaders on development and poverty reduction.
From 2013 to 2015, she was the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for Timor-Leste, working to support peace-building, State-building and sustainable development in that country.
As Executive Director of UNIFEM (1994–2007), she played a critical role in the Security Council’s formulation and implementation of the landmark resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security. She undertook extensive missions to conflict-affected countries around the world, engaging women and a wide range of stakeholders, including civil society, youth and faith-based organizations.
A member of the Secretary-General’s High-Level Advisory Board on Mediation, she also sits on the Governing Board of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore and is a distinguished fellow of the Singapore Management University and the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies./.
VNA
