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New Zealand lawmaker to head UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan

Xinhua, December 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

A senior New Zealand opposition lawmaker has been appointed to head the United Nations peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, his party leader said Wednesday.

The UN Security Council had appointed Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) David Shearer as the UN Secretary General's Special Representative in South Sudan, Labour Party leader Andrew Little said.

The job involved heading the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the UN's third largest peacekeeping mission, with 17,000 uniformed and almost 2,000 civilian personnel.

It is charged with building peace and stability in the newest country in the world.

"The Labour Party congratulates David on what will be a demanding role, but one that has a humanitarian focus which he's passionate about," Little said in a statement.

"We're very proud of David who is the only New Zealander to ever be appointed to run a UN peace keeping operation."

Shearer, Labour's leader from 2011 to 2013, is expected to take up the role early in the New Year.

When the UN Security Council was still considering the appointment last week, Foreign Minister Murray McCully told Radio New Zealand that the role was "the toughest peacekeeping assignment on the planet" and Shearer was the only name put forward for consideration.

McCully said his appointment would have the full support of the New Zealand government.

Shearer has been an MP since 2009 and is the Labour Party's foreign affairs spokesperson.

He had previously worked for the United Nations for almost 20 years, running humanitarian operations for the UN and Save the Children in the Middle East and Africa. Endit