United Nations

Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS ALAN DOSS AS
DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE IN SIERRA LEONE

The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Alan Doss of the United Kingdom as his Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL). He will work under Special Representative Oluyemi Adeniji and alongside Deputy Special Representative Behrooz Sadry, who handles political and administrative affairs. Mr. Doss is expected to assist the Government of Sierra Leone in extending its authority and institutions throughout the country; stabilizing areas under its control; rehabilitating national institutions; and, in due course, planning and organizing elections. He would also be expected to plan and supervise the implementation of reintegration projects and peace-building initiatives.

Mr. Doss, who will serve at the Assistant Secretary-General level, will reside in Freetown, Sierra Leone.

He has spent his entire working life in the service of the United Nations and most recently held the position of Director of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), which was created by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as a key feature of his reform programme for the United Nations. The UNDG works to promote unity of purpose and stronger coherence in United Nations development operations around the world.

Before working for the UNDG, he was Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) European Office in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was charged with strengthening UNDP's outreach and liaison work in Western Europe, focusing on UNDP's advocacy for human development.

Mr. Doss had previously served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Regional Representative of the UNDP in Bangkok, Thailand. At the same time, he was Director of the United Nations Border Relief Operation, in charge of United Nations assistance to displaced Cambodian people on the Thai-Cambodia border, managing the operation until transfer of responsibility to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

Previous assignments included posts with the United Nations in China, Kenya, Niger, Zaire and Benin.

Alan Doss was born on 7 January 1945 and was brought up in Cardiff, Wales. He graduated from the London School of Economics. He is married to Soheir Doss. They have three daughters.