BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 3. UN
Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Azerbaijani Ramiz
Alakbarov as Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security in
the UN Department of Safety and Security, Trend reports.
Alakbarov will assume the position in January 2027, succeeding
Unaisi Vuniwaqa of Fiji, whose term ends in December 2026.
Alakbarov has more than 30 years of experience in international
leadership, strategic planning, development management and
humanitarian affairs.
Since 2025, he has served as Deputy Special Coordinator and UN
Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator
for the Middle East Peace Process, as well as Humanitarian
Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Previously, he was UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in
Ethiopia from 2023 to 2025 and Deputy Special Representative for
Afghanistan with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan from 2021
to 2023.
Alakbarov has also held several senior positions with the UN
Population Fund (UNFPA), including Deputy Executive Director for
Management and UN Reforms and Director of the Policy and Strategy
Division in New York.
Earlier in his career, from 1992 to 1995, he worked as an
assistant professor at Azerbaijan Medical University and practiced
medicine.
Alakbarov holds MD and PhD degrees in internal medicine from
Azerbaijan Medical University and a master's degree in
international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy in the United States.
He speaks Azerbaijani, English, French, Russian and Turkish.
