Biographical Note

 SG/A/800
BIO/3422
13 May 2002

Secretary-General Appoints Tun Myat of Myanmar As New United Nations Security Coordinator

NEW YORK, 10 May (UN Headquarters) -- The Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Mr. Tun Myat of Myanmar as the new United Nations Security Coordinator. The appointment is at the Assistant Secretary-General level.

Born in September 1942 in Myanmar, Mr. Tun Myat is a United Nations veteran of over 24 years. Since April 2000, he has served as the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq at the Assistant Secretary-General level. As the senior United Nations official resident in Iraq, Mr Tun Myat was also the United Nations Designated Official for Security.

Prior to his appointment as the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, Mr Tun Myat served in the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) for over 22 years where he began his career as an Insurance Officer in 1978. Subsequently, he held increasingly responsible positions, including Chief of the Ocean Transportation Branch, Chief of the Logistics Branch, Special Assistant to the Executive Director of WFP, the Director of Transport and Logistics Division, and the Director of the Resources and External Relations Division. In these various capacities with the WFP, Mr Tun Myat traveled extensively to some of the most hazardous areas of conflict to set up mechanisms and structures for the provision and delivery of humanitarian relief.

Prior to joining WFP, Mr Tun Myat worked in a variety of capacities in the national shipping corporation in Burma for nearly 15 years, the last four of which as manager of the Legal and Insurance Department. In this period he also lectured law on a part-time basis at the University of Rangoon and was retained as Legal Advisor to the Ministry of Transport and Communications in Burma.

Mr Tun Myat graduated from the University of Rangoon with Bachelor degrees in Commerce, (B.Com), and Law, (B.L), and from the University of London a Masters Degree in Law, (LLM), as well as an Associateship Diploma by Examination, (ACII), from the Chartered Insurance Institute of the United Kingdom.

Mr Tun Myat is married to Daw Myint Kyi Myat. They have two married daughters.

* *** *