Kaag takes up U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon post

UNITED NATIONS: The head of the U.N. mission to rid Syria of chemical weapons, Sigrid Kaag, is taking up a new post as U.N. special coordinator for Lebanon, a spokesman said Monday.

Kaag will succeed British diplomat Derek Plumbly, who has served in the post since 2012.

For the past year, Kaag has led a U.N. effort to scrap Syria’s chemical stockpiles under a deal reached between Russia and the U.S.

Work on destroying Syria’s last remaining chemical arms production facilities should be completed by mid-2015, the 53-year-old Kaag told the Security Council last month.

The Dutch diplomat will head up U.N. operations in Lebanon.

A graduate in Middle Eastern studies, Kaag has served as assistant secretary-general at the U.N. Development Program and as UNICEF’s Middle East director in Jordan.

“She brings with her a wealth of experience in political, humanitarian and development affairs alongside her diplomatic service, including in the Middle East,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said.

Separately, Plumbly underscored Monday the key role women can play in peace building and in bringing war-torn communities back together for a better future free from violence.

“Women experience conflict differently from men, and women have a vital role to play in ending conflict,” Plumbly said in Tyre, addressing women from southern Lebanese villages on Open Day on Women, Peace and Security, according to a statement from his office.

Stressing that Lebanon has one of the lowest rates of female representation in any parliament and government in the world, Plumbly said the U.N. wants Lebanese women to share their views on what can be done to advance their participation in peace building, prevention and post-conflict reconstruction.

“These are the terms of Security Council Resolution 1325, and must not just be words on paper but together we must turn them into meaningful action,” Plumbly said.

“Gender equality is not just a women’s issue but a human rights issue, and men must be partners in gaining equal rights for women and preventing the abuses that women face.”