Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
Russian envoy Gleb Desyatnikov has been named Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police, taking up the role amid ongoing diplomatic tensions at Turtle Bay.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has announced that Russian diplomat Gleb Desyatnikov will serve as Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police. He takes charge immediately.
According to an official United Nations statement, Desyatnikov will direct crucial work within the Department of Peace Operations. His portfolio covers two urgent tasks. He will coordinate global efforts to clear lethal landmines while directing police units deployed to crisis zones.
Highlighting his qualifications, the United Nations stated, “Mr. Desyatnikov brings to the position more than 35 years of experience in international relations, political affairs and security issues across government, multilateral diplomacy and conflict-affected regions.”
Decades in diplomacy
Before this assignment, Desyatnikov spent decades handling foreign policy for Moscow. He served as Russia’s ambassador to Jordan from late 2018 onward. Prior to that post, he spent eight years as the Deputy Director in the Middle East and North Africa division at Russia’s Foreign Ministry.
His history with the world body stretches back to the nineties. Between 1994 and 1997, he completed several field deployments with the United Nations Special Commission on Iraq. Later, he worked as a senior adviser at Russia’s mission in New York.
Along the way, he earned a master’s degree from Moscow’s State Institute of International Relations, backing his field assignments with fluency in English and Arabic.
Friction behind scenes
Even so, the high-profile appointment lands during a tense stretch for the world body. This week a United Nations commission concluded that Russian strikes against civilian energy targets amounted to war crimes, placing direct blame on Kremlin leaders.
Meanwhile, political maneuvering around future leadership is already gathering pace. Recent media reports indicate that the Trump administration wants former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to succeed Guterres, hoping for Russian and Chinese backing.
Against that volatile backdrop, Desyatnikov faces an immediate, hands-on test. His everyday focus must stay on defusing unexploded bombs and keeping peacekeepers safe.
