Russian diplomat to lead UN Counter-terrorism office

NEW YORK, June 21 (KUNA) -- UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has appointed on Wednesday Vladimir Ivanovich Voronkov of Russia as Undersecretary General of the newly created UN Counter-Terrorism Office.
The office was established by the General Assembly resolution on Thursday.
Deputy Spokesman Farhan Haq told the press that UN Secretary General appreciates the hard work of Member States and the many partners who share his commitment to this agenda.
"The Undersecretary General will provide strategic leadership to United Nations counter-terrorism efforts, participate in the decision-making process of the United Nations and ensure that the cross-cutting origins and impact of terrorism are reflected in the work of the United Nations," he added.
Voronkov is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the International Organizations in Vienna.
Haq said Voronkov brings to the position more than 30 years of experience within the Foreign Service working primarily on UN as well as responsibilities ranging from public diplomacy and social and economic development issues to intergovernmental affairs.
Under his leadership, the Permanent Mission has launched several flagship projects with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) and developed successful collaborations with the UNODC Antiterrorist Branch.
The newly appointed Voronkov also serves on the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), during which time he led several delegations to the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice. On June 15, the UN General Assembly adopted resolution A/71/L.66 establishing the new UN office to counter terrorism.
It came in recognition of the importance of countering terrorism and preventing violent extremism as and when conducive to terrorism.
In this regard, the General Assembly's resolution stresses the importance of an integrated and balanced implementation of the UN Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy across its four pillars, reaffirming the principal responsibility of Member States for implementing the Strategy. (end) mao.mb