NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF MALTA
PRESENTS CREDENTIALS
VIENNA, 12 November (UN Information Service) -- The new Permanent Representative of Malta, Mr. Walter Balzan, presented his credentials today to Antonio Maria Costa, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).
Ambassador Balzan was also appointed as Permanent Representative of Malta to the Organization on Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in April 2003.
Mr. Balzan was appointed Ambassador in 1999 and served as Malta’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 1999 to 2003. He has also served in the following capacities: Personal Assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and as Head of the Minister’s Cabinet from 1990-1993 and October 1998 to July 1999; Deputy Permanent Representative with rank of Counsellor at the Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations in New York (1993-1996), where he acted as Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. on a number of occasions. Between, he was concurrently appointed Consul General of Malta in New York with responsibilities for the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut (March 1994 to August 1996).
Mr. Balzan formed part of ministerial delegations on official visits and participated in bilateral and multilateral meetings as well as other international conferences. Mr. Balzan was also a member of the delegation of Malta at the CSCE Summits in Paris (1990) and Helsinki (1992).
He represented Malta as one of the Vice Presidents of the 56th session of the United Nations General Assembly. He was the Rapporteur of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (1999-2003); Elected Rapporteur of the Second Committee at the 47th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (1992); member of the Cabinet of the President of the 45th Session of the United Nations General Assembly, Professor Guido de Marco (1990-1991); Personal Assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior and Justice (1987-1990). He was concurrently appointed Secretary of the Airport Security Committee and of the Directorate for Civil Protection. During the same period, he represented Malta as its Permanent Representative at the Council of Europe on the Open Partial Agreement on the prevention of, protection against and organisation of relief in major natural and technological disasters. As a Government appointed member, Mr. Balzan formed part of the Board of Directors of Maritim Selmun Palace Hotel (1987-1992) and of the Malta Export Trade Corporation Ltd., (1992-1993).
Born in Malta in 1946, Mr. Balzan joined the Maltese Civil Service in 1964 and throughout his thirty-nine year career, served also in the Ministries of Industrial Development and Tourism, Trade and Industry and Finance.
In 1995, he was decorated with the award Cavaliere dell’Ordine di San Gregorio Magno, which was conferred upon him by His Holiness Pope John Paul II.
Mr. Balzan is married and has two children.
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