HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the appointment of Claudio Cordone of Italy as his new deputy special envoy for Syria.

Cordone, who will begin his duties on Jan. 1, 2026, "succeeds Najat Rochdi of Morocco, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication, hard work and leadership during pivotal moments of the United Nations efforts to support a political transition process in Syria," the statement said.

Saying that Cordone "brings 40 years of experience in international relations, international human rights and humanitarian law," the statement added that he has been serving as deputy special Representative for political affairs and electoral assistance with the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) since 2022.

Before his Iraq posting, Cordone served as director of UNRWA in Lebanon (2017-2022), where he also briefly served as the interim resident and humanitarian coordinator.

He also held senior roles with the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), including director of human rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Division, and earlier served with the UN high commissioner for human rights in Libya.

From 1997 to 1998, Cordone served as chief of the Human Rights Office with the UN Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina (UNMIBH).