Giorgio Giacomelli

Giorgio Giacomelli (25 January 1930 – 8 February 2017)^[1] was an Italian diplomat who represented Italy as ambassador to Somalia and Syria. He was UNRWA's Commissioner-General from 1985 to 1991 and UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories from 1999 to 2001.^[2]

Giorgio Giacomelli
Giacomelli (left) with Argentine president Carlos Menem at the Casa Rosada, December 1996
Italian ambassador to Somalia
In office 12 June 1973 – 1976
Preceded by	Giulio Terruzzi
Succeeded by	Marcello Salimei
Italian ambassador to Syria
In office 25 September 1976 – 1980
Preceded by	Maurizio Bucci
Succeeded by	Aldo Pugliese
Director General of UNRWA
In office 1985–1991
Preceded by	Olof Rydbeck
Succeeded by	İlter Türkmen
Executive Director of UNODC
In office 1991–1997
Preceded by	Margaret Anstee
Succeeded by	Pino Arlacchi
UN Special Rapporteur on the occupied Palestinian territories
In office 1999–2001
Preceded by	Hannu Halinen
Succeeded by	John Dugard
Personal details
Born	(1930-01-30)30 January 1930 Milan, Kingdom of Italy
Died	8 February 2017(2017-02-08) (aged 87) Rome, Italy
Spouse	Elisabetta Belloni
Alma mater	University of Padua University of Cambridge Geneva Graduate Institute

Biography

A native of Milan, Giacomelli studied at the University of Padua, the University of Cambridge and the Geneva Graduate Institute.^[3]

He was the Italian ambassador to Somalia from 1973 to 1976 and ambassador to Syria from 1976 to 1980. In 1981 he became Director-General for Emigration and Social Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and then, until October 1985, Director–General of the Department of Cooperation and Development. From 1985 to 1991 he was Commissioner-General of UNWRA.^[2] Giacomelli left UNRWA when he was appointed by UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar to become head of the UN's anti-drug campaign and, contextually, the director of the United Nations Office at Vienna.^[4]

Honors

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic 1st Class / Knight Grand Cross – 27 December 1993

Légion d'honneur – 1991

See also

• List of Directors and Commissioners-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Italy)
• Foreign relations of Italy
• Giorgio Giacomelli is New Executive Director of United Nations International Drug Control Programme
• Press Briefing by Executive Director of UNDCP - (27 October 1993)