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First woman appointed Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel |
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News
On August 6th, Patricia O’Brien of Ireland was appointed Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and Legal Counsel by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon. She is the first woman to hold the position of UN Legal Chief, and is replacing Nicolas Michel of Switzerland.
Since 2003, Ms. O’Brien has held the position of Legal Advisor for the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland, and has served as a Legal Counselor for Ireland's Permanent Representation to the European Union in Brussels. Her new position under the UN would give her the capacity to act in behalf of the Secretary General. As head of the Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), Ms. O’Brien will work to develop and codify international law.
Ms. O’Brien’s appointment reflects the UN’s commitment to address gender imbalance at the higher levels of the organization’s system.
Read Patricia O’Brien’s biography
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