Algerian Radio
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced on Monday evening the appointment of Italian diplomat Claudio Cordone as Deputy Special Envoy for Syria. Cordone will assume his duties on January 1, 2026.
With 40 years of experience in international relations, human rights, and international humanitarian law, Cordone has served since 2022 as the Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs and Electoral Assistance with the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).
Prior to his assignment in Iraq, he was the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) in Lebanon (2017-2022), where he also briefly served as the interim Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
He has also held senior positions within the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), including as Director of the Human Rights, Transitional Justice, and Rule of Law Division, and previously served with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Libya.
Between 1997 and 1998, Cordone was the Chief of the Human Rights Office with the United Nations Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH).
