The Mfantsipim School Development Committee has congratulated Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas on his new appointment as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).
Dr Chambas, until recently, was the African Union – United Nations Joint Special Representative for Dafur and Head of the African Union – United Nations Hybrid Operations in Dafur since December 20, 2012.
From 2010 to 2012, Dr Chambas was the Secretary – General of the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) Group of States having also served as President of the ECOWAS from 2006 – 2009 and Executive Secretary from 2002 to 2005.
Dr Chambas, a product of Mfantsipim School, will be the Special Guest of Honour for the 138th annual Speech Day of Mfantsipim to be held on Saturday, November 8, 2014, on the theme: “Developing a Knowledge – based Economy for Ghana: the Role of Senior High Schools”.
Born in 1950, Dr Chambas holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Ghana. He also has a Master’s degree and a Doctor of Philosophy degree from Cornell University as well as a Law degree from Case Western Reserve University, both in the United States.
As Member of Parliament for Bimbilla in 1993-96, Dr Chambas was also the First Deputy Speaker of Parliament (1993-1994) and later appointed Deputy Foreign Minister, as well as the Chairman of the Appointments and Privileges Committees of Parliament.
Between 1991-1996, Dr Chambas was involved in ECOWAS mediation efforts in Liberia and directly participated in negotiations leading to the agreements ending the Liberian civil war. He was also a member of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group which worked to facilitate a transition to constitutional democratic governance in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and the Gambia.
