Secretary- General appoints Patricia O’Brien of Ireland as Under-Secretary – General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel and Peter Taksøe-Jensen of Denmark as Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs

Secretary- General appoints Patricia O’Brien of Ireland as Under-Secretary – General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel

On 25 August, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon  appointed Patricia O’Brien of Ireland as Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and United Nations Legal Counsel.  Ms. O'Brien, the first woman in this position in the history of the United Nations, will replace Nicolas Michel.

The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Michel’s committed service, tireless dedication, consistent professionalism, and profound integrity.

Ms. O’Brien, who brings to the job extensive experience of legal and international affairs, is eminently equipped to integrate the legal dimension in internal decision-making processes, promote the rule of law in international relations, and contribute to ensuring an end to impunity.As Legal Adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs of Ireland since 2003, Ms. O’Brien has advised on legal issues arising in Irish foreign policy, in particular public international law, human rights law and European Union law.She previously served as a Senior Legal Adviser to the Irish Attorney General and as Legal Counsellor at the Irish Permanent Representation to the European Union, in Brussels.She has advised the Government of Ireland in legal proceedings before the International Court of Justice, the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice.She has also participated in expert legal meetings in the United Nations, Council of Europe and the European Union.

Earlier in her career, Ms. O’Brien practiced law at the Irish Bar (1979-1988) and for one year at the Bar of British Columbia, Canada.Between 1989 and 1992 she held academic positions at the University of British Columbia.

Ms. O’Brien earned a Bachelor of Arts (Mod) in legal science in 1978 and a Master of Arts in 1987 from Trinity College, Dublin; a Barrister-at-Law (BL) from Kings Inns, Dublin, in 1978 and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Ottawa, Canada, in 1990.  She is a member of the Irish Bar (1978) and of the Bar of England and Wales (1986).  She is a Fellow of the Society for Advanced Legal Studies, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, London.

Born on 8 February 1957, Ms. O’Brien has three children.
 
Congratulations Ms. O'Brien on your appointment!



Secretary-General appoints Peter Taksøe-Jensen as Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs
 
On 19 August 2008,  The Secretary-General  announced the appointment of Peter Taksøe-Jensen of Denmark as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs.  Mr. Taksøe-Jensen will replace Mr. Larry Johnson.   
 
The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Johnson’s distinguished service to the United Nations through his long tenure in various capacities related to the rule of law and international justice.
 
Mr. Taksøe-Jensen is well-known in international legal circles, where he has been the driving force behind a number of Danish policies and initiatives to strengthen and develop international law.  His experience and background will be of direct relevance in supporting the Legal Counsel in the overall direction and management of the Office of Legal Affairs and in furthering the main goals of the Office.
 
As Under-Secretary for Legal Affairs and Head of the Legal Service in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Taksøe-Jensen has been since 2004 the principal legal adviser to the Danish Foreign Minister on all matters concerning international law.  He has also served as the Agent for the Government of Denmark at the European Court of Human Rights, as a Member of the Court of Conciliation and Arbitration within the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and as Chairman of the Commission on the Red Cross of the Government of Denmark.  
 
Mr. Taksøe-Jensen joined the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1987.  He has served in the Legal Service of the Ministry since 1999, including as Head of the Department of International Law.  He also served in the Security Policy Department and in the EU Law Department, and on various government commissions.  He has been posted to Vienna, at the Danish Embassy and with the Danish Delegation to the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe/Confidence- and Security-Building Measures (CFE/CSBM); and to Brussels, as a member of his country’s representation to the European Union.
 
Mr. Taksøe-Jensen holds a degree in law from the University of Copenhagen, where he has also lectured since 2003.
 
Born in 1959 in Copenhagen, Mr. Taksøe-Jensen has two children.

Congratulations Mr. Peter Taksøe-Jensen on your appointment!