Ms. Stephanie Koury 

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Officer-in-Charge UNSMIL

The United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Ms. Koury, of the United States, as Deputy Special Representative for Political Affairs (DSRSG-P) in the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on 1 March 2024.    

Ms. Koury arrived in Libya on 24 April 2024. On 16 May 2024, she assumed the role of officer-in-charge following the resignation of the former Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Abdoulaye Bathily.

Ms. Koury has more than 30 years of extensive experience supporting political processes, peace talks and mediation in conflict and post-conflict settings, including in the Middle East and over 15 years with the United Nations in Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, the Sudan, Syria, and Yemen.  Ms. Koury previously served in Libya with UNSMIL from 2011 – 2013 and most recently served as Director of Political Affairs in the United Nations Transition Assistance Mission in the Sudan (UNITAMS).

Ms. Stephanie Koury holds a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government from the University of Texas, US.  Ms. Koury speaks Arabic and English.

Ms. Georgette Gagnon

Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator

Ms. Georgette Gagnon of Canada, whom the Secretary-General recently appointed as Assistant Secretary-General, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Libya. She succeeds Yacoub El Hillo of Sudan, who completed his assignment on 5 January 2021. Ms. Gagnon will be based in Tripoli.

Ms. Gagnon brings to the position over twenty-five years of experience leading and implementing strategic initiatives on human rights, humanitarian action and development and coordinating multi-disciplinary teams in conflict and post-conflict countries.  Most recently, she served as Director of Field Operations and Technical Cooperation in the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), where she led the substantive and operational work of the Office’s 94 field presences around the world. 

From 2010 to 2015, Ms. Gagnon was the Director of Human Rights for the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) based in Kabul.  Ms. Gagnon has also served as a director and senior adviser on protection of civilians, human rights and the rule of law in various duty stations with the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, national governments and non-governmental organizations.

Ms. Gagnon holds an LLB from York University in Toronto, Canada, and an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom.