Stefan Priesner Assumes Charge as New UN Chief in India
Austrian diplomat succeeds Shombi Sharp; brings nearly three decades of UN experience across South Asia and beyond.
Australia, Dec 03 : Austrian diplomat Stefan Priesner has officially taken over as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in India, the top UN post in the country, according to Secretary General António Guterres’ spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.
Priesner succeeds Shombi Sharp, who concluded his four-year tenure. Before his move to New Delhi, Priesner served in the same role in Iran, completing a four-year assignment there.
With nearly 28 years of experience in the UN system, Priesner has strong ties to South Asia. He began his UN career in Bhutan and later served in Nepal and Bangladesh. His global postings include roles as Resident Coordinator for Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei, and earlier work in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
A qualified lawyer with a degree from the University of Vienna, Priesner also holds a master’s in international relations from Johns Hopkins University in the United States.
As the UN Resident Coordinator, Priesner will represent the UN at the highest levels in India and lead all UN agencies working in the country, guiding the organisation’s development priorities.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Guterres has appointed Lt Gen Ganesh Kumar Shrestha of Nepal as the new Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA). The mission, created in 2011, is tasked with protecting civilians in the contested Abyei region between Sudan and South Sudan.
Shrestha, who succeeds Maj Gen Robert Yaw Affram of Ghana, will lead an operation comprising 3,250 troops and 640 police personnel. He previously served as Master General of Ordnance at the Nepalese Army Headquarters and was a sector commander with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
