George William Okoth-Obbo, a Ugandan lawyer and seasoned diplomat --has been named by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as his "Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect".
He succeeds Karen Smith, a South African national, according to Un.org.
Okoth-Obbo, who until this appointment was the assistant secretary general and secretary and head of the secretariat of the UN Secretary-General’s high-level panel on Internal Displacement, has been with the UN for over 30 years.
Previous positions include Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) (2015-2019), Director of the Organization’s Regional Bureau for Africa (2009-2015), Director of its Division of International Protection (2006–2009), and as UNHCR Representative in Kenya (2001-2006) and Zambia (2001).
"He was also Deputy Director in the UNHCR Regional Directorate for Southern Africa (2000-2001); Senior Policy Officer in the same office (1998-2000); Assistant Representative for Protection in Ethiopia (1995-1998); Senior Legal Adviser in the Regional Bureau for Africa (1991-1995); Senior External Relations Officer, UNHCR Headquarters (1989-1991); Protection Officer in Lesotho (1987-1989) and in Swaziland (1987); and Associate Protection Officer in Botswana (1984-1987)," reads a profile on Un.org.
Okoth-Obbo holds a Master of Laws degree from the University of Nairobi, a Bachelor of Laws from Makerere University, and a diploma in legal practice from the Law Development Centre in Uganda.
Prior to joining UNHCR, he was a Lecturer in Law at the Law Development Centre and Faculty of Law at Makerere University respectively.