Álvaro de Soto
Encyclopedia
Álvaro de Soto is a Peru
vian diplomat. He ended a 25 year career with the United Nations
in May 2007.
prior to enlisting in his country's diplomatic corps. Prior to his secondment to the United Nations
, he worked for Peru
's foreign ministry in Lima and at its UN missions in New York City and Geneva.
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
. Following his appointment as the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for the Central American Peace Process, Ambassador de Soto headed the 1990–1991 negotiations that brought an end to the decade-long civil war in El Salvador
.
He was a Senior Political Adviser to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
from February 1992 to December 1994. He then served as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, in charge of the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, from 1995 to 1999. In 1997 Secretary-General Kofi Annan
chose him as his Special Envoy for Myanmar
, a position he held until 1999.
, with the rank of Under-Secretary-General; he held this post until the dismantling of the Special Mission to Cyprus following the April 2004 rejection of the Annan Plan
for a Cypriot bizonal bicommunal federation divided along ethnic and religious lines.
and published on 13 June. De Soto has confirmed the authenticity of the Guardian text. He criticized both the Palestinian organizations Hamas
and Fatah
and the Israel
i government, as well as the international community. He condemned the sanctions imposed by Israel, EU, and US, against Palestine after Hamas won the election. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1231196120070613 He warned "that American pressure has 'pummelled into submission' the UN's role as an impartial Middle East negotiator." http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2101676,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2101570,00.html
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
vian diplomat. He ended a 25 year career with 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...
in May 2007.
Early years
De Soto studied law and international relations in Lima and GenevaGeneva
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...
prior to enlisting in his country's diplomatic corps. Prior to his secondment to 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...
, he worked for Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
's foreign ministry in Lima and at its UN missions in New York City and Geneva.
United Nations career
In 1982 he joined the United Nations staff as a special adviser to Secretary-GeneralUnited Nations Secretary-General
The Secretary-General of the United Nations is the head of the Secretariat of the United Nations, one of the principal organs of the United Nations. The Secretary-General also acts as the de facto spokesperson and leader of the United Nations....
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar
Javier Pérez de Cuéllar y de la Guerra is a Peruvian diplomat who served as the fifth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1, 1982 to December 31, 1991. He studied in Colegio San Agustín of Lima, and then at Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú. In 1995, he ran unsuccessfully...
. Following his appointment as the Secretary-General's Personal Representative for the Central American Peace Process, Ambassador de Soto headed the 1990–1991 negotiations that brought an end to the decade-long civil war in El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
He was a Senior Political Adviser to Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Boutros Boutros-Ghali is an Egyptian politician and diplomat who was the sixth Secretary-General of the United Nations from January 1992 to December 1996...
from February 1992 to December 1994. He then served as Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, in charge of the Americas, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific, from 1995 to 1999. In 1997 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...
chose him as his Special Envoy for Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
, a position he held until 1999.
Cyprus
On 1 November 1999 de Soto was selected as the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on CyprusCyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, with the rank of Under-Secretary-General; he held this post until the dismantling of the Special Mission to Cyprus following the April 2004 rejection of the Annan Plan
Annan Plan for Cyprus
The Annan Plan was a United Nations proposal to resolve the Cyprus dispute, reuniting the breakaway Northern Cyprus with the Republic of Cyprus. The proposal was to restructure Cyprus as the "United Cyprus Republic", which would be a federation of two states. It was revised a number of times before...
for a Cypriot bizonal bicommunal federation divided along ethnic and religious lines.
Middle East
On 6 May 2005 he was appointed the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process. In May 2007 he resigned from the position. He wrote a 53-page End of Mission statement, dated 5 May, "meant only for senior UN officials", with "wording far more critical than the public pronouncements of UN diplomats." http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2101676,00.html It was leaked to The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
and published on 13 June. De Soto has confirmed the authenticity of the Guardian text. He criticized both the Palestinian organizations Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
and Fatah
Fatah
Fataḥ is a major Palestinian political party and the largest faction of the Palestine Liberation Organization , a multi-party confederation. In Palestinian politics it is on the left-wing of the spectrum; it is mainly nationalist, although not predominantly socialist. Its official goals are found...
and the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i government, as well as the international community. He condemned the sanctions imposed by Israel, EU, and US, against Palestine after Hamas won the election. http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN1231196120070613 He warned "that American pressure has 'pummelled into submission' the UN's role as an impartial Middle East negotiator." http://www.guardian.co.uk/frontpage/story/0,,2101676,00.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2101570,00.html
External links
- Alvaro de Soto: End of Mission Report, 5 May 2007 The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 13 June 2007