May 16, 2011 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Mariano Fernández, a former foreign minister from Chile, as his next Special Representative for Haiti and head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Caribbean nation.

Mr. Fernández will succeed Edmond Mulet of Guatemala at the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, according to a statement released by Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

In the statement Mr Ban expressed his deep appreciation to Mr. Mulet – who will complete his assignment on 31 May – for his contribution to UN efforts in Haiti in the wake of last year’s catastrophic earthquake.

Mr. Fernández was Chile’s foreign minister between 2009 and 2010. He also worked as his country’s Ambassador to the United States, United Kingdom, Spain and Italy and in the Chilean Mission to the European Union. Between 2003 and 2007, Mr. Fernández also acted as Chile’s Commissioner to the International Whaling Commission.

Between 1974 and 1982, during a period of military rule in Chile, Mr. Fernández was exiled in Germany where he worked as a magazine editor, among other jobs.

The new appointment was announced two days after Michel Martelly was sworn in as the new President of Haiti at a ceremony attended by UN officials in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

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