United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 22 February 2022 the appointment of Parfait Onanga-Anyanga of Gabon as his Special Representative to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU).
Mr. Onanga-Anyanga brings over 25 years of progressively responsible experience at the national, regional and international levels with extensive experience with the United Nations, both in conflict-affected areas and at Headquarters. He brings to the position well-honed skills in building consensus among stakeholders and his knowledge of the Organisation to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and the African Union in the area of peace and security.
He served since 2019 as the Special Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General for the Horn of Africa. Prior to that, he served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilisation Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA). In his previous capacities, he was the Coordinator of United Nations Headquarters Response to the Boko Haram crisis as well as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Burundi and Head of the United Nations Office in Burundi. From 2007 to 2012, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga was the Director of the Office of the United Nations Deputy Secretary-General. Previously, he served as the Chef de Cabinet to the President of the fifty-ninth session of the General Assembly and as Special Adviser to the President of the sixtieth and sixty-first sessions of the General Assembly.
Before joining the United Nations, Mr. Onanga-Anyanga was a career diplomat in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of his native country, Gabon, completing his service at the rank of Ambassador.
He holds a post-graduate degree in political science from University Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne and a master’s degree in Sociology from University Omar Bongo in Libreville, Gabon.
