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

Martin Eyjólfsson, the new Permanent Representative of Iceland to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva Mr. Eyjólfsson held the position of Director General of External Trade and Economic Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iceland. In 2007 he was made Director of European Affairs, also at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before which he served as the Deputy Director of the Department of External Trade. From 2003 to 2004, Mr. Eyjólfsson held the position of Head of Overseas Business Services at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which followed a year holding the position of Head of the Unit of International Trade Agreements at the same location, from 2002 to 2003. Mr. Eyjólfsson first worked for the Icelandic diplomatic service as a legal expert on European Union and European Economic Area law, based at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, from 1996 to 1998.

Mr. Eyjólfsson read law at the University of Iceland in Reykjavík, and periodically gives lectures on European Union law at the Reykjavík University. Articles by Mr. Eyjólfsson on European Union law have been published in domestic and international journals. In addition to his diplomatic career Mr. Eyjólfsson also worked as a professional footballer, playing in the Icelandic Premiere League for five years for the football team Íþróttabandalag Vestmannaeyja (better known as ÍBV).

Mr. Eyjólfsson was born on 18 May 1971 in the Westman Islands, Iceland and is married with three children.


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CR12/034E