On July 15, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres announced the appointment of Mohamed Al Hassan of the Sultanate of Oman as his new Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). 

He succeeds Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert of the Netherlands, who is now serving as the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon.

Secretary-General appoints Mr. Mohamed Al Hassan of the Sultanate of Oman as Special Representative for Iraq and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) https://t.co/5kESHhr2XX pic.twitter.com/bjY0tpzTM8

— UNAMI (@UNIraq) July 15, 2024

Al Hassan has served as the Permanent Representative of the Sultanate of Oman to the UN in New York since 2019. Prior to that, he held various assignments at Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including Acting Undersecretary for Diplomatic Affairs, Chief of Staff, and Head of the Minister’s Department.

He speaks Arabic, English, Norwegian, and Russian.

He will most likely be the last UNAMI head to serve in Iraq.

On May 8, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia’ Al Sudani formally requested the termination of UNAMI’s mission by the end of 2025 in a letter addressed to UN Secretary-General Guterres.

“The decision to end UNAMI’s operations in Iraq, apart from the reasons mentioned, is a natural outcome of the evolving relationship between Iraq and the UN, fostering cooperation on different levels,” Iraqi Government Spokesperson Basim Alawadi said in a statement on May 12.