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UN peacekeeping chief to step down

27 June 2011 23:32 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Alain Le Roy, United Nations under-secretary-general for peacekeeping, will step down on Aug. 23 because of unstated family reasons, a statement released here said on Monday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

Le Roy informed UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that he will not seek a further extension of his appointment, said the statement.

The secretary-general said he "deeply regrets" Le Roy is not continuing to serve the UN in this position but he "fully understands" the family reasons behind his decision.

Ban thanks Le Roy for his "outstanding service" over the past three years.

"This has been a period of extraordinary challenges for UN peacekeeping in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Haiti, Sudan, Cote d’Ivoire and a dozen other very demanding operations," the UN chief said.

"Le Roy has met all these operational challenges with great skill and dedication, which resulted in important achievements on the ground," Ban said, noting that Le Roy has worked constantly and successfully with UN member states and other partners to make UN peacekeeping ever more effective and efficient.

It has not yet been announced who will replace Le Roy.

Le Roy holds the position since June 2008. Before becoming the head of the UN peacekeeping department he has been involved in the organization in different capacities.