Khassim Diagne Appointed UN Cyprus Chief

Guterres expressed his satisfaction with Diagne’s appointment and thanked Stewart for his strong leadership and dedicated service during his tenure.

Who Is Khassim Diagne?

Diagne has over 25 years of experience in international relations and senior management within the United Nations system. He currently serves as the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Mali, a position he has held since October 2024. Earlier in the same year, he was Deputy Special Representative for the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS). From 2021 to 2024, he served as Deputy Special Representative for Protection and Operations in the UN Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO).

Between 2017 and 2021, Diagne was Director of the Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian, and Human Rights Unit in the UN Secretary-General’s Executive Office. In 2017, he also served as Regional Representative for the Americas and the Caribbean for the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). He held positions as UNHCR Representative in Cameroon (2015–2016) and Liberia (2014–2015), and as Deputy Representative in Pakistan (2009–2011). Between 2011 and 2013, he served at UNHCR headquarters in Geneva as Head of Governance and Partnership Services and Secretary of the Executive Committee. Early in his career, he undertook various roles in UNHCR missions in Ivory Coast, Rwanda, Kenya, and Somalia.

Diagne holds a master’s degree in Modern Languages from Cheikh Anta Diop University in Senegal and a master’s in International Relations from Tufts University Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States. He is fluent in English, French, and Wolof.