📍 Breaking News: This article covers the latest developments. Stay informed with comprehensive coverage.
QAMISHLI, internal-link">syria (north Press) – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Italian diplomat Claudio Cordone as the emerging Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, the UN declared on Tuesday. Cordone, who will assume the post on Jan. 1, 2026, succeeds Najat Rochdi, who served in the role since 2020, playing a role in relief coordination and backing for the UN-led peace process.
Bringing four decades of experience in international relations, human rights and relief law, Cordone currently serves as Deputy Special Representative for political Affairs and electoral aid with the United Nations aid Mission for Iraq. In Iraq, he oversaw UN efforts to address the legacy of missing persons linked to the 1990–1991 Gulf War. Cordone previously directed operations for the UNRWA in Lebanon, where he also briefly served as interim Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
His earlier roles include leading the Human Rights, Transitional Justice and Rule of Law Division at the UNSMIL and serving as the UN Human Rights Representative in Libya. He also worked with the International Center for Transitional Justice and spent more than 25 years with Amnesty International, including a period as interim Secretary General in 2010. Furthermore, in the late 1990s, he served as Chief of the Human Rights Office with the UN mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Furthermore, cordone holds a Master of Law from Sapienza University in Rome and a Master’s degree in Arab Studies from Georgetown University.
He speaks English furthermore to his native Italian. By Jwan Shekaki