Profile of the Man Who Liberians Appreciates For Peace, Progress, Alan Doss

Liberians are said to be appreciating the efforts being made by the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) under the able leadership of Ambassador Alan Doss. Speaking to a cross session of individuals, including, market women, professional groups and students, said they were pleased withe level or peace Liberians are enjoying as a result of UNMIL presense in the Country, under the leadership of Ambassador Doss, "Let us be grateful to the peace keepers; they are indeed helpful to us," a University of Liberia student in a chat said. Several others who spoke to our Monrovia correspondent praised the efforts of UNMIL. In this edition we profile the man heading this global body. See profile:

Alan Doss has spent his entire working life in the service of the United Nations.
He is currently the Special Representative of the Secretary General of the United Nations in Liberia and head of the UN peace keeping mission (UNMIL) with the rank of Under Secretary General. UNMIL is one of the largest peace operations in the world with military, police and civilian components.

The Mission conducted a massive disarmament campaign and has recently overseen successfully elections that paved the way for the return of democratic government after fourteen years of war.Immediately prior to his assignment to Liberia, he was the Principal Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for C?d?Ivoire where he coordinated the work of the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (ONUCI) in the areas of human rights, rule of law, civilian police and elections.

His previous post was as Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL) and concurrently United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative where he provided oversight for the reintegration of war affected populations, UN support for the disarmament programme, restoration of state authority, governance reform and the national recovery programme.

His appointment, following on the recommendations of the Brahimi Panel on UN peace operations in late 2000, was aimed at strengthening the effectiveness of such operations through better coordination of UN peace keeping, humanitarian and development activities in country.

Until his appointment in Sierra Leone Mr Doss held the position of Director of the United Nations Development Group (UNDG), which was set up by Secretary General Kofi Annan to strengthen coordination among the UN organisations dealing with development under the leadership of the Administrator of UNDP.

He managed the design and implementation of reforms aimed to improve the performance of UN operational activities around the world. During that period he worked also on developing an integrated follow-up for the UN global conferences of the nineties, which led at the end of the decade to the Millennium Development Goals.

Prior to his UNDG assignment, he was Director of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) European Office in Geneva, Switzerland, where he was charged with strengthening UNDP?s outreach and fund raising work in Western Europe, focusing on UNDP?s advocacy for human development.

He concurrently represented the UNDP at the Development Assistance Committee (DAC) of the OECD in Paris where he was member of the group that drew up the DAC?s landmark study on conflict, peace and development cooperation in 1997.

Mr. Doss had previously served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Regional Representative of the UNDP in Bangkok, Thailand. At the same time, he was Director of the United Nations Border Relief Operation (UNBRO), in charge of United Nations assistance to 300,000 displaced Cambodian people on the Thai-Cambodia border.

During this period he was also the UN representative to the inter-governmental Mekong River Committee and worked actively on its reconstitution as a Commission and the re-admission of Cambodia. Earlier appointments included posts as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Benin and the Democratic Republic of Congo responsible for UN operational activities in those countries.

In 1979, he had been appointed as Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in China with the opening of the first international development cooperation programme and office in that country. In 1977 he had developed the first UNDP cooperation programme for Vietnam.

Other country assignments included Niger and Kenya and at UNDP Headquarters in New York where he served in the Africa and Asia regional offices and in the Administrative Management Bureau. Alan Doss was born and brought up in Cardiff, Wales in the UK. He graduated from the London School of Economics. He is married to Soheir Doss. They have three daughters.