BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 3. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Azerbaijani Ramiz Alakbarov as Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security in the UN Department of Safety and Security, Trend reports.
Alakbarov will assume the position in January 2027, succeeding Unaisi Vuniwaqa of Fiji, whose term ends in December 2026.
Alakbarov has more than 30 years of experience in international leadership, strategic planning, development management and humanitarian affairs.
Since 2025, he has served as Deputy Special Coordinator and UN Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, as well as Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Previously, he was UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ethiopia from 2023 to 2025 and Deputy Special Representative for Afghanistan with the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan from 2021 to 2023.
Alakbarov has also held several senior positions with the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), including Deputy Executive Director for Management and UN Reforms and Director of the Policy and Strategy Division in New York.
Earlier in his career, from 1992 to 1995, he worked as an assistant professor at Azerbaijan Medical University and practiced medicine.
Alakbarov holds MD and PhD degrees in internal medicine from Azerbaijan Medical University and a master's degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States.
He speaks Azerbaijani, English, French, Russian and Turkish.
