NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE GAMBIA PRESENTS CREDENTIALS TO DIRECTOR-GENERAL OF UNOG

Ousman Badjie, the new Permanent Representative of the Gambia 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. Badjie was the Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). From 2007 to 2012 he held the position of Ambassador to Morocco, Tunisia and Cyprus. Mr. Badjie served as a member of the team that set up the Security Operations Centre of the United Nations Operations in Cote d’Ivoire (ONUCI) from 2003 to 2005. Prior to that, he was a Secretary of State within the Government of the Gambia, holding the position of Minister of the Interior and Religious Affairs from 1999 to 2003. Earlier in his career Mr. Badjie worked for the Gamian police force. He held the position of Police Commissioner of the Gamian Police Force from 1994 to 1999. Between the years 1990 and 1992 he was a Sub-Lieutenant and a Lieutenant within the Gambia National Gendarmerie.

Mr. Badjie attended the Military Academy of Saint Louis, in Senegal, from 1980 to 1988. During that period he gained his Brevet de fin d’Etudes moyennes (in 1984), after which he worked towards the first and second parts of his Baccalaureate, being awarded them in 1986 and 1988 respectively. Between 1988 and 1990 Mr. Badjie attended the National School of Active Officers of Thies, Senegal, from 1988 to 1990. Between 1991 and 1992 he attended the Turkish Gendarmerie Commando School of Foca, in Izmir, after which he enrolled at the Ecole Supérieure d' Application des Officiers de la Gendarmerie Royal, in Marrakech, Morocco.

Mr. Badjie speaks French, English, Jola, Wollof, Mandinka and has knowledge of Turkish and German. He was born on 2 August 1967 in Banjul, Gambia, and is married with five children.

For use of the information media; not an official record

CR12/037E