NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF SWITZERLAND PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Dante Martinelli, the new Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Martinelli had been serving since 2004 as Switzerland’s Ambassador to China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and to Mongolia, based in Beijing. From 1999 to 2004, he served as Head of Switzerland’s Mission to the European Communities in Brussels. From 1996 to 1999, he was Switzerland’s Ambassador to Italy, Malta and San Marino, based in Rome. He dealt with economic issues at Switzerland’s Embassy in Paris from 1989 to 1993.

A career diplomat, Mr. Martinelli joined Switzerland’s Federal Department for Foreign Affairs in 1979. After training in Bern and Tunis, he worked at the Integration Office of the Ministry from 1981 to 1985. From 1985 to 1989, he was transferred to Washington where he dealt with international financial affairs.

Mr. Martinelli was born in 1947 in Faido, Switzerland. He has a diploma from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.


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