NEW YORK, JANUARY 6 – Olof Skoog, the new Head of Delegation of the European Union to the United Nations, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
Following his presentation, Ambassador Skoog said, “The EU is a leading supporter of the United Nations: together with our Member States, the EU is not only the largest financial contributor to the UN system, but it also works with the UN in responding to and managing global crises and in advancing shared priorities—ambitious climate action, the promotion of human rights, and achieving the sustainable development goals. As we head into the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the responsible global leadership exercised by the UN and the EU is more important than ever. I am committed to further reinforcing the EU-UN partnership in the years to come.”
Ambassador Olof Skoog is a Swedish diplomat with extensive experience from a number of top positions worldwide, representing both Sweden and the European Union. Most recently, he served as the Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, representing his country on the UN Security Council, and as the Chairman of the United Nations Peacebuilding Commission. He has previously been Director-General for Political Affairs in the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and has represented Sweden at the European Union and at the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). He has also been Swedish Ambassador to Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Panama and served as Executive Assistant to Dr. Hans Blix in the UN verification of WMD in Iraq.
With the European Union, Ambassador Skoog served as the first Permanent Chair of the EU Political and Security Committee, coordinating the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy. He was then posted as the EU Ambassador to Indonesia and Brunei, also representing the EU to ASEAN. (@OnuItalia)
