Al-Hassan succeeds Plasschaert as UNAMI head in Iraq

Shafaq News/ On Monday, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Mohammed Al Hassan from the Sultanate of Oman as his new Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

Al Hassan succeeds Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands, whom the Secretary-General acknowledged for her dedication and leadership of UNAMI.

"Mr. Al Hassan brings to the position a broad range of diplomatic experience with a career spanning over thirty years working on preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding, and development," Secretary-General Guterres stated.

Previously, Al Hassan served as the Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations in New York since 2019. His earlier roles at Oman's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Muscat included Acting Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs (2016), Chief of Staff (2015), and Head of the Minister’s Department (2012).

Among his notable diplomatic assignments, Al Hassan held the position of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Oman to the Russian Federation, concurrently serving as non-resident Ambassador to Belarus, Ukraine, Armenia, and Moldova. He also served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Oman to the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

Al Hassan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Washington in Seattle, a Master of Science degree in International Relations from St. John's University in New York, and a PhD in Economics from Moscow State University of Economics, Statistics, and Informatics (MESI) in Moscow. He is proficient in Arabic, English, Norwegian, and Russian languages.