NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF ALGERIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONS OFFICE AT GENEVA

Lazhar Soualem, the new Permanent Representative of Algeria to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Soualem had been serving as Director General for multilateral relations at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria since 2019. He was Director for international humanitarian, social, cultural, scientific and technical affairs from 2018 to 2019, a post he also held from 2005 to 2009. He was Director for human rights, social development, and international humanitarian, social, cultural, scientific and technical affairs from 2015 to 2018. From 2009 to 2015, he was Ambassador of Algeria to Zimbabwe and to Zambia, as well as Algeria’s observer representative to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa.

A career diplomat, Mr. Soualem served as Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Algeria to the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2002 to 2004 ; and as Deputy Permanent Representative at the Mission of Algeria in Vienna, Austria from 2000 to 2002. He also served at the Permanent Mission of Algeria to the United Nations Office at Geneva from 1992 to 1995, and at the Algerian Embassy in Sofia, Bulgaria from 1991 to 1992. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Algeria in 1986.

Mr. Soualem is a member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.

Mr. Soualem has diplomas from the Institut de Technologie du Commerce in Algiers in commercial management (1982) and from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration, diplomatic section (1986). He attended specialized courses in international human rights certified by the Institut de San Rémo in 2016/2018. He was born on 19 September 1959, in Bordj Bou Arrérid, Algeria, and is married with two children.

CR20.031E