New Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of BINUH

On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced the appointment of Carlos G. Ruiz Massieu of Mexico as Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). He succeeds María Isabel Salvador of Ecuador, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude for her dedication and commitment.

Ruiz Massieu brings to this position more than 30 years of experience in public service and diplomacy, in both bilateral and multilateral contexts. As Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Colombia since 2019, he led the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia, monitoring the implementation of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC-EP guerrillas. He provided good offices and political leadership during the recent peace talks between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN), as well as with other illegal armed groups. Prior to this appointment, he chaired the General Assembly's Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters from 2013 to 2018.

A distinguished career diplomat, Ruiz Massieu held various positions in the Mexican government before joining the United Nations, including as Mexico's Permanent Mission to the United Nations. He holds a law degree from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City and a master's degree in political science from the University of Essex, UK, specializing in Latin America. In addition to Spanish, he speaks English and French.

IH/iciHaïti