UNAMA, Kabul - The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Afghanistan, Jean Arnault, announced today the appointment of Adrian Edwards as his spokesperson and director of UNAMA's Office of Communication and Public Information. Mr. Edwards, who has been in Afghanistan since 12 June 2005, succeeds Manoel de Almeida e Silva, and acting spokesperson Ariane Quentier.
Mr. Edwards is a former journalist, with postings since 1989 in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Vietnam for the BBC, Reuters, Far Eastern Economic Review, and most recently the Economist Group. He has also worked for the United Nations in Cambodia as a political and elections analyst with the UN's Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Mr. Edwards, a national of the United Kingdom, is a graduate of Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government with a master's degree in public administration. He also has a bachelor's degree in music from London's City University.
Media representatives can reach Mr. Edwards at UNAMA's Office of Communications and Public Information (OCPI):
Tel.: (+39-0831) 24 6123
Mobile: +93 (0) 70 282 168
Tie Line: (+1-212) 963-2668 Ext: 6123
Email: spokesman-unama@un.org
Additional OCPI contact details, news, press materials, and other information about the work of the United Nations in helping Afghanistan rebuild can be found on the UNAMA website at http://www.unama-afg.org.