Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on Mr. Jun Yamazaki, Former Deputy Director-General for Global Issues, International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Appointed as Controller of the United Nations

August 14, 2008

The Government of Japan welcomes the announcement that on August 13 (Wed) (US Eastern time), Mr. Jun Yamazaki, Former Deputy Director-General, International Cooperation Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been appointed as Assistant Secretary-General, Controller of the United Nations by Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations.
The UN Controller plays an extremely important role to lead the entire budget process of the United Nations, from the formulation of budget proposals by the Secretariat to their adoption by Member States, and to represent the Secretary-General at the General Assembly and committees concerned.
The Government of Japan expects Mr. Yamazaki to contribute greatly to strengthening the functions and accountability of the UN through making its activities more efficient and improving the transparency of the budget process.
He will become the second Japanese UN Controller, following Ambassador Yukio Takasu, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations. It has been about four years since a Japanese assumed a post of Assistant Secretary-General at the UN Headquarters. There will be a total of two Japanese officials, including Mr. Kiyotaka Akasaka, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, who hold posts of Assistant Secretary-General and above at the UN Headquarters.

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