Staffan de Mistura was appointed as Special Envoy for Syria of the United Nations Secretary-General in July 2014.
Prior to this assignment he was notably the Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Iraq (2007-2009) and in Afghanistan (2010-2011), and Italy’s Deputy Foreign Minister.
During a career of over four decades with United Nations agencies, he served in numerous conflict zones, directing complex relief operations, food distributions and vaccination campaigns.
In particular he was posted in Sudan, Ethiopia, Albania, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia and Somalia.
He also held senior political and humanitarian assignments in Lebanon and Iraq, and served as Deputy Executive Director of the World Food Programme.
Mr. de Mistura is a national of Italy and Sweden.
He speaks seven languages.