SG Appoints Birgit Gerstenberg of Germany as the UN Resident Coordinator in Belize and El Salvador

The UN Secretary-General has appointed Birgit Gerstenberg of Germany as the UN Resident Coordinator in Belize and the Republic of El Salvador, with the host governments’ approval.

Ms. Gerstenberg brings 25 years of service to the United Nations, with the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and in three peacekeeping missions (ONUSAL, MINUGUA, UNMIS) in Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa. For the past year and a half, she served as the OHCHR Regional Representative for South America. She also served as Senior Human Rights Advisor in Jamaica (2014-2018), OHCHR Representative in Uganda (2009-2014) and held leadership positions for OHCHR Colombia (2006-2009), Sudan/Darfur (2005), Guatemala (2002-2004, 2005-2006) and in peacekeeping missions in El Salvador (1991-1994) and Guatemala (1997-2002).

Born in 1958, she holds bachelor’s and a master’s degree equivalent in Philosophy from Friedrich Schiller University Jena and a PhD in history of philosophy in Latin America of University Rostock, as well as the PhD course and pre-thesis in Law and Fundamental Rights of the Bartolome de las Casas Institute of the Carlos III University, Madrid Spain.