Arnauld Antoine Akodjènou

Arnauld Antoine Akodjènou (born in 1950), a native of Benin, is a long-life humanitarian and diplomat, currently serving as Special Adviser for Africa at the Kofi Annan Foundation specifically working on the Democracy and Electoral Integrity Initiative. Prior to this he served as the Regional Refugee Coordinator and Special Adviser to the High Commissioner for refugees for the South Sudan Situation[1] at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). He had held numerous positions with the United Nations peacekeeping missions, in Côte d'Ivoire (ONUCI) and Mali (MINUSMA), as Deputy Special Representative of UN Secretary General; and initially worked for UNHCR for over 25 years.

Arnauld Antoine Akodjènou
Special Adviser for Africa at the Kofi Annan Foundation
Assumed office
September 2019
Regional Refugee Coordinator and Special Advisor to the High Commissioner for the South Sudan refugee situation (UNHCR)
In office
June 2017 – August 2019

Education

Akodjènou earned a Bachelor of Arts in History at the University of Bénin in 1974. He also attended the Institute of International Relations of Cameroon in Yaoundé, from which he received a Postgraduate diploma in International Relations in 1976. His Master's thesis focused on an analysis of Algeria's foreign and national policy. In 1978, he joined the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (formerly known as Institut des Hautes Études Internationales) in Geneva where he received a PhD in Political Science in 1982. His dissertation analyzed the then need for technical cooperation between “the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and African countries”.

Career

Akodjènou began his career at the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in 1986. As a young professional, he served in different contexts in Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo and Chad.

From 1991 to 1996 he headed different geographic areas of operations at Headquarters including in Eastern Zaire focusing on the Great lakes Crisis (1993-1996). From 1997 to 2003 he was UNHCR Representative in Mali, then in Sierra Leone and from Ghana, in Accra, assumed the Regional Coordinator functions for Liberia and Côte d'Ivoire crisis. During that period he managed humanitarian activities to strengthen coordination and cooperation with other UN agencies, local governments, NGOs and civil society, to find solutions to crises, to improve living conditions of refugees and ensure their safe and voluntary return to their home countries. From 2003 to 2005 he served as Director of Emergency and Security Services at Headquarters, and Director of all operational services – emergency and security, resource allocation, supply, technical services, programme management for all UNHCR operations worldwide; both postings were located at UNHCR Headquarters in Geneva.

With this solid experience, Akodjènou assumed the role and responsibilities of Inspector General of UNHCR in Geneva from 2009 to 2011where he supported the High Commissioner with independent assurance and oversight of UNHCR's activities and operations.

On June 2011, he was appointed by Secretary General Ban Ki-moon as Deputy Special Representative for Côte d'Ivoire for the United Nations Secretary-General (United Nations Operations in Côte d'Ivoire, ONUCI). Based in Abidjan, he was in charge of political affairs and the rule of law pillar, working a variety of portfolios including electoral assistance, security sector reform and the promotion of political dialogue.

Following this, he was appointed Deputy Special Representative in the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) from 2014 to 2015. Akodjènou led the United Nations Mediation Team in Algiers (August 2014-January 2015), which resulted in the May 2015 Peace Agreement. He supported the implementation of political and institutional reforms provided by the Agreement, as well as defense, security, reconciliation and justice measures.

Between October 2015 and June 2017, Akodjènou was a Special Advisor for Africa at the Kofi Annan Foundation, responsible for the Electoral Integrity Initiative in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to address, with all stakeholders, election-related political challenges with the aim of improving electoral integrity.

In June 2017, he was appointed Regional Refugee Coordinator and Special Advisor to the High Commissioner for the South Sudan Situation[2] by the United Nations High Commissioner, Mr Filippo Grandi. In this capacity, he worked closely with UNHCR operations in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan and Uganda to ensure a strong overarching vision and coherent engagement across the region in pursuit of protection and solutions for South Sudanese IDPs and refugees.[3] From this office, he promoted effective refugee participation in peace and national reconciliation processes[4] and advocated for additional resources and visibility[5] for the regional response.[6]

Since September 2019, upon completion of his mission related to the South Sudan situation, Akodjènou returned to the Kofi Annan Foundation where he has been working since October 2015 as Senior Adviser for Africa on the Democracy and Electoral Integrity Initiative, with a specific focus on electoral process in Africa.[7]

Publications
  1. Une union africaine face au jihadisme, 12 March 2020, Jeune Afrique
  2. Un humain sur 113 est déplacé ou réfugié : il est temps d’agir, 17 July 2016, Jeune Afrique

Personal life

Akodjènou is married and has three children.

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References
  1. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Biography". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  2. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Regional Refugee Coordinator for the South Sudan Situation and Special Adviser to the High Commissioner". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  3. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "UNHCR calls on South Sudan parties to deliver a lasting peace". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  4. "South Sudan refugees will near 3 million in 2018 without peace". UN News. 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  5. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "Funding shortfall leaves South Sudanese refugees at risk". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  6. Refugees, United Nations High Commissioner for. "South Sudan emergency". UNHCR. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
  7. "Côte d'Ivoire : le président du Conseil Constitutionnel a échangé avec l'envoyé spécial de Fondation Kofi Annan". Abidjan.net. Retrieved 2020-03-13.
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