Canadian Nigel Fisher has been named the Acting Special Representative in Haiti for the United Nations, and will lead the U.N. Stabilization Mission there. Fisher, who has served as a special representative in Haiti since the 2010 earthquake, was appointed by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday.
He has worked within the United Nations since 1977, taking on roles in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Fisher has served as deputy special representative in Afghanistan, executive director of the United Nations Office of Project Services, and also as the chief executive officer of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Canada.
The stabilization mission in Haiti has been in place for almost a decade. It was launched in response to the coup d’état against elected President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. More recently the mission’s priority has been to oversee the nation’s recovery following the earthquake that devastated the capital Port-au-Prince and left thousands dead and millions homeless and displaced. Haiti has struggled with government corruption and inefficiency, and suffered foreign intervention. This year the country will hold legislative elections, which could lead to protests and unrest.
