Ján Kubiš

Ján Kubiš (November 12, 1952, Bratislava) is the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe,^[1] and was the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovakia from July 2006 until January 2009.

The Slovak diplomat was formerly Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Secretary General. In July 2005, the European Union appointed Ján Kubiš to be the EU's special envoy to Central Asia. Ján Kubiš had previously served as the United Nations special envoy to Tajikistan during the transitional period following the civil war until the country held its first postwar elections.

Prior to taking on the post as OSCE Secretary General, Kubiš was Director of the Conflict Prevention Centre in the secretariat of the OSCE, a position he has held since 1994.

From 1993 to May 1998, Kubiš was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the UN Office in Geneva, as well as to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and other international organizations. In 1994, Kubiš was Special Ministerial Envoy and Slovak Chief Negotiator on the Pact for Stability in Europe. In 1992, he served as Chairman-in-Office of the Committee of Senior Officials of the Committee on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) under the Czechoslovak CSCE chairmanship.

From 1991 to 1992, Kubiš was Director-General of the Euro-Atlantic Section in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Prague. From 1989, he served in the Czechoslovak Embassy in Moscow, and as Deputy Head of the Embassy from 1990 until his departure in 1991. Between 1985 and 1988, he headed the section dealing with security and arms control in the Czechoslovak Foreign Ministry. From 1980 to 1985, he served in the Czechoslovak Embassy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Born in 1952, Kubiš is married and has one daughter.

References

1. ^ "The Biography of Jan Kubiš". http://www.un.org/sg/senstaff_details.asp?smgID=140. Retrieved 2009-02-28.