Alan Doss
Encyclopedia
Alan Claude Doss CMG
(born 7 January 1945) is a British
administrator who has spent his entire professional life in the service of the United Nations
working on peacekeeping, development and humanitarian assignments in Africa, Asia and Europe as well as at United Nations Headquarters
in New York
.
On 24 October 2007, he was appointed as Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) of the United Nations in Democratic Republic of the Congo
and Head of the UN peace keeping mission there, MONUC, until June 2010 with the rank of Under Secretary General. MONUC, now MONUSCO, is the UN’s largest peace operation. The Mission is deeply engaged in the peace process in the Congo and providing security support to the country as it seeks to end armed conflict in the war torn eastern part of the Congo. Throughout the country the Mission is promoting human rights, the protection of women and children, reform of state institutions and the holding of democratic elections.
Doss's early appointments included posts as UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme
(UNDP) Resident Representative in Benin
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
responsible for UN operational activities in those countries. In 1977, he had developed the first UNDP cooperation program for Vietnam
. In 1979, he was appointed as Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in China
opening of the first international development cooperation program and office in that country.
Doss then served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Regional Representative of the UNDP in Bangkok
, Thailand
. At the same time, he was Director of the United Nations Border Relief Operation (UNBRO), in charge of United Nations assistance to hundreds of thousands of displaced Cambodians on the Thai-Cambodia border. During this period he was also the UN representative to the Mekong
River Committee that manages South East Asia’s greatest river network and was part of the negotiating team that restructured the institution into an inter-governmental commission with the re-admission of Cambodia
to the group.
He was then appointed Director of the UNDP European Office in Geneva
, Switzerland
, where he was charged with strengthening UNDP’s outreach and fund raising work in Western Europe, focusing on advocacy for human development. He concurrently represented the UNDP at the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (EOCD) in Paris
where he was member of the group that drew up the DAC’s landmark study on conflict, peace and development cooperation in 1997.
Doss held the position of Director of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), which was set up by Secretary General Kofi Annan
to strengthen coordination among the UN organizations dealing with development under the leadership of the Administrator of UNDP. He managed the design and implementation of reforms aimed to improve the performance of UN operational activities around the world. During that period he coordinated the UNDG’s work on the follow-up to the UN global conferences of the nineties, which led to the pioneer publication “A Better World for All” published jointly by the UN, World Bank, IMF and OECD and subsequently, at the end of the decade, to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals
.
When the UN organized a peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, (UNAMSIL), Doss became Deputy Special Representative if the mission and served concurrently as United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative where he provided oversight for the reintegration of war affected populations, UN support for the disarmament program, restoration of state authority, governance reform and the national recovery program. His appointment, following on the recommendations of the Brahimi Panel
on UN peace operations in late 2000, was aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of such operations through better coordination of UN peace keeping, humanitarian and development activities in country.
He then became Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Ivory Coast, where he coordinated the work of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission ONUCI in the areas of human rights, rule of law, civilian police and management.
Immediately prior to his current assignment to the DRC, he was the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Liberia
and head of the UN peace keeping mission there, UNMIL, also with the rank of Under Secretary General. The UN mission provided extensive security and political support for the 2005 national elections in Liberia, which resulted in the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Africa’s first female elected head of state. Following the elections Doss worked very closely with the new Administration on national recovery and reconstruction including the groundbreaking governance and economic programme, GEMAP
.He worked closely with the Sierra Leone Tribunal to ensure that Charles Taylor was detained and successfully transferred by UNMIL to the Court's jurisdiction.
Other country assignments through the years included Niger
and Kenya
and at UNDP Headquarters in New York where he served in the Africa and Asia regional offices and in the Management Bureau.
Doss was brought up in Cardiff, Wales
. He graduated from the London School of Economics
and Political Science. He is married to Soheir Doss. They have three daughters and a granddaughter.
Doss was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to the United Nations.
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(born 7 January 1945) is a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
administrator who has spent his entire professional life in the service of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
working on peacekeeping, development and humanitarian assignments in Africa, Asia and Europe as well as at United Nations Headquarters
United Nations headquarters
The headquarters of the United Nations is a complex in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, on spacious grounds overlooking the East River...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
.
On 24 October 2007, he was appointed as Special Representative of the Secretary General (SRSG) of the United Nations in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
and Head of the UN peace keeping mission there, MONUC, until June 2010 with the rank of Under Secretary General. MONUC, now MONUSCO, is the UN’s largest peace operation. The Mission is deeply engaged in the peace process in the Congo and providing security support to the country as it seeks to end armed conflict in the war torn eastern part of the Congo. Throughout the country the Mission is promoting human rights, the protection of women and children, reform of state institutions and the holding of democratic elections.
Doss's early appointments included posts as UN Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(UNDP) Resident Representative in Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
responsible for UN operational activities in those countries. In 1977, he had developed the first UNDP cooperation program for Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
. In 1979, he was appointed as Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
opening of the first international development cooperation program and office in that country.
Doss then served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Regional Representative of the UNDP in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. At the same time, he was Director of the United Nations Border Relief Operation (UNBRO), in charge of United Nations assistance to hundreds of thousands of displaced Cambodians on the Thai-Cambodia border. During this period he was also the UN representative to the Mekong
Mekong
The Mekong is a river that runs through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. It is the world's 10th-longest river and the 7th-longest in Asia. Its estimated length is , and it drains an area of , discharging of water annually....
River Committee that manages South East Asia’s greatest river network and was part of the negotiating team that restructured the institution into an inter-governmental commission with the re-admission of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
to the group.
He was then appointed Director of the UNDP European Office in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, where he was charged with strengthening UNDP’s outreach and fund raising work in Western Europe, focusing on advocacy for human development. He concurrently represented the UNDP at the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (EOCD) in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
where he was member of the group that drew up the DAC’s landmark study on conflict, peace and development cooperation in 1997.
Doss held the position of Director of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), which was set up by Secretary General Kofi Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
to strengthen coordination among the UN organizations dealing with development under the leadership of the Administrator of UNDP. He managed the design and implementation of reforms aimed to improve the performance of UN operational activities around the world. During that period he coordinated the UNDG’s work on the follow-up to the UN global conferences of the nineties, which led to the pioneer publication “A Better World for All” published jointly by the UN, World Bank, IMF and OECD and subsequently, at the end of the decade, to the UN’s Millennium Development Goals
Millennium Development Goals
The Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
.
When the UN organized a peacekeeping mission in Sierra Leone, (UNAMSIL), Doss became Deputy Special Representative if the mission and served concurrently as United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative where he provided oversight for the reintegration of war affected populations, UN support for the disarmament program, restoration of state authority, governance reform and the national recovery program. His appointment, following on the recommendations of the Brahimi Panel
Report of the Panel on United Nations Peacekeeping
The Report of the Panel on United Nations Peace Operations is commonly called the Brahimi Report, named for the chairman of the commission that produced it, Lakhdar Brahimi...
on UN peace operations in late 2000, was aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of such operations through better coordination of UN peace keeping, humanitarian and development activities in country.
He then became Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Ivory Coast, where he coordinated the work of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission ONUCI in the areas of human rights, rule of law, civilian police and management.
Immediately prior to his current assignment to the DRC, he was the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
and head of the UN peace keeping mission there, UNMIL, also with the rank of Under Secretary General. The UN mission provided extensive security and political support for the 2005 national elections in Liberia, which resulted in the election of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as Africa’s first female elected head of state. Following the elections Doss worked very closely with the new Administration on national recovery and reconstruction including the groundbreaking governance and economic programme, GEMAP
GEMAP
The Governance and Economic Management Assistance Program is an effort, started September 2005, by the Liberian government and the international community, via the International Contact Group on Liberia to reshape the fundamentally broken system of governance that contributed to 23 years of...
.He worked closely with the Sierra Leone Tribunal to ensure that Charles Taylor was detained and successfully transferred by UNMIL to the Court's jurisdiction.
Other country assignments through the years included Niger
Niger
Niger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
and Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
and at UNDP Headquarters in New York where he served in the Africa and Asia regional offices and in the Management Bureau.
Doss was brought up in Cardiff, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. He graduated from the London School of Economics
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
and Political Science. He is married to Soheir Doss. They have three daughters and a granddaughter.
Doss was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to the United Nations.
Public correspondences
- IPI SRSG Series: Alan Doss -23 March 2007-
- Keynote address by Alan Doss to the States at Regional Risk (SAAR) Conference: “The Great Lakes Region: Beyond Emergency Responses" -Bujumbura (Burundi), 4 June 2009-
- Protecting civilians from abuse in Congo - Letter to The Guardian -29 July 2009-
- Alan Doss responds to Refugees International -22 September 2009-
- Letter from Refugees International to Alan Doss -28 September 2009-
- IPI Speaker Events "It's a Moral Dilemma, I Don't Hide That" by Alan Doss -14 December 2009-
- The Ambassadors Review - Spring 2010 - In Pursuit for Peace by Alan Doss- May 2010
United Nations System
- United Nations Development Group
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
- United Nations Development Programme
- United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- United Nations Mission in Liberia
- United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire
- United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone
TV Media
- BBC HARDtalk with Alan Doss -May 2009-
- PBS Can the U.N. keep the Peace? -May 2009-
- TV5Monde Et si vous me disiez toute la vérité avec Alan Doss -February 2009-
- Worldfocus: A Fragile Ceasefire in the Congo -November 2008-
- The Wilson Center's Africa Program hosted the SRSG Alan Doss, for a briefing on current events in the Congo. Howard Wolpe, director of the Africa Program at the Wilson Center, served as moderator -April 2008-
- Jeune Afrique - Alan Doss nous a rendu visite -7 December 2009- (French)
- The Wilson Center's Africa Program - A briefing on the Democratic Republic of the Congo- 9 April 2010
Press Media
- The Christian Science Monitor - Rwanda-Congo move isolates UN mission -27 January 2009-
- The Boston Globe - A stronger UN role is needed in the Congo -28 January 2009-
- BBC - UN complains of Congo troops delay -8 April 2009-
- LaLibre.be (in French) Inimaginables les progres realises en six mois -9 May 2009-
- LaLibre.be (in French) On a 40 000 hommes en uniforme au Nord-Kivu et pas une seule garnison -9 May 2009
- UNRIC Magazine Interview with SRSG Doss-31 June 2009-
- The Guardian - UN peacekeepers are rooting out perpetrators of sexual violence, not supporting them, says Alan Doss -3 July 2009-
- The Washington Times - Ending an endless Congo war -10 July 2009-
- The New York Times - Seeking Peace in Congo -4 December 2009-
- The Economist - Strife in Eastern Congo -4 December 2009-
- Relief Web - Alan Doss meets the Russian crew of a MONUC helicopter attacked in Dongo -12 December 2009-
- The Washington Times - No Weak-Kneed Peace keeping -28 December 2009-
- Los Angeles Times - Another side to Congo -5 February 2010-
- The New York Times - The Violence in Congo -16 February 2010-
- The Guardian - The UN mission in Congo has not signed a 'pact with the devil' -24 February 2010-
- The East African - The UN is fully dedicated to ending FDLR threat in DRC -1 March 2010-
- The Washington Post - The truth about U.N. aid to Congolese colonel -13 March 2010-
- The Guardian - Monuc and the Makombo massacre -5 April 2010-
- The New York Times - The U.N in Congo -6 May 2010-
- MONUC Website - « Ensemble, nous avons fait un bon bout de chemin » -23 June 2010-