UN Secretary Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Movses Abelian

Secretary-General Appoints Movses Abelian, Assistant Secretary-General for General Assembly

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Movses Abelian, as Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of General Assembly.

Abelian brings with him over 25 years of experience in peace and security issues and conflict resolution as well as extensive expertise leading, supporting and managing complex portfolios and intergovernmental processes, including the General Assembly, the Security Council and the Executive Boards of United Nations Funds and Programmes.

Prior to joining the United Nations, Mr. Abelian was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the United Nations (1998-2003) and Deputy Permanent Representative from 1996 to 1998. During his diplomatic career, Abelian served in various capacities including as the Chairman of the Fifth Committee (1998); Vice-Chairman of the United Nations Disarmament Commission and Special Negotiator for the United Nations Peacekeeping Scale Financing Reform (2000); President of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF); and Facilitator for United Nations Reform during the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly (2002).

Prior to joining Armenia’s Foreign Service in 1992, Abelian worked in academia as Associate Professor at Yerevan State University from 1989.

Movses Abelian was educated in Armenia, the Russian Federation and the United States.

He is married and has two children.