Former Croatian Justice Minister Ivan Simonovic on Monday formally took up the post of Assistant Secretary General of the United Nations for Human Rights.
Simonovic, 51, a university professor and diplomat, is the first official to be appointed to this post, which was created by the UN General Assembly in December 2009.
Simonovic will head the New York Office of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, which is based in Geneva.
Simonovic has extensive experience in the fields of international development, human rights, peacebuilding and development of national institutions, the UN press service said in a statement on May 3 when announcing his appointment.
Simonovic served as Croatia's ambassador to the United Nations from 1997 to 2002 and in the last year of his term as the president of the UN's Economic and Social Council. For his work at the helm of ECOSOC he was awarded the French Legion of Honour.
