NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BENIN PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Seraphin Lissassi, the new Permanent Representative of Benin to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, from January 1983 to date, Mr. Lissassi held various posts in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and African Integration of Benin, including as Director of African Integration from 2002, and Deputy Director for Africa and the Middle East from March 1999. He also worked at the Directorate for America from January 1998, as Deputy Director for State Protocol from February 1996, at the Directorate for Studies and Planning from January to August 1990, as Deputy Director for Consular Affairs from November 1987 to January 1990, as Head of Division of the European Directorate from July 1986 to November 1987, and as Head of Division of the African and Arab States Directorate from January 1983 to July 1986.

From September 1990 to February 1996, Mr. Lissassi was also First Counsellor in charge of political affairs and development at the Embassy of Benin in Germany, covering affairs in Switzerland, Austria, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and the United Nations Office at Vienna.

Mr. Lissassi holds a Masters in Judicial and Political Sciences from the National University of Benin, and holds a Diploma in Diplomacy from the same institution, as well as a Diploma from the University of Belgrade, Faculty of Political Sciences.

Mr. Lissassi speaks French, English and Spanish, and was born on 12 October 1955 in Porto-Novo, Benin.


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CR09019E