Mr Haile Menkerios is a former Under-Secretary General and Special Representative of the UN Secretary General to the African Union (2013-2018).

He held various positions during his tenure in the United Nations including as Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Sudan and South Sudan (2011-2013), Head of the UN mission in Sudan (2009-2011), as well as UN Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs (2007-2009).

He also carried out many assignments for the UN in the field of mediation and conflict resolution, including in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Zimbabwe, where he assisted with the 2008 presidential political process; the African Great Lakes Region; Madagascar; and the Comoros. Mr Menkerios is a highly experienced diplomat with more than three decades of experience.

Prior to joining the United Nations, he had served as Eritrea’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Special Envoy to Somalia and the Great Lakes Region and Ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union. Mr Menkerios holds a bachelor’s degree from Brandeis University and a master’s degree from Harvard University.