UN Secretary-General Names Russian Diplomat to Lead Mine Action and Police Division

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has announced the appointment of Gleb Desyatnikov as the new Assistant Secretary-General for Mine Action and Police. The decision places a Russian diplomat in charge of a critical division within the Department of Peace Operations. This office is responsible for coordinating the United Nations' mine action activities and managing the police contingents that serve in peacekeeping missions worldwide.

The UN Secretary-General's office described Desyatnikov as a seasoned official with more than 35 years of experience. His career spans government roles, multilateral diplomacy, and work in conflict-affected regions. The organization highlighted his extensive background in international relations, political affairs, and security issues as key qualifications for the post.

Desyatnikov has served as Russia's ambassador to Jordan since 2018. Prior to that diplomatic posting, he held the position of deputy director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2010 to 2018. His earlier career includes serving as a senior adviser on Middle East and North Africa affairs at the Permanent Mission of the Russian Federation to the United Nations in New York between 2004 and 2010.

Before joining the UN mission in New York, Desyatnikov was seconded to the UN Special Commission on Iraq, known as UNSCOM, from 1994 to 1997. He is a graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. The diplomat is proficient in both English and Arabic, skills that have likely supported his long tenure in the Middle East and North Africa region.

This appointment follows a similar decision made in April 2017. At that time, Guterres named Alexandre Zouev, another Russian representative, as Assistant Secretary-General for Rule of Law and Security Institutions. Zouev's portfolio included oversight of UN peacekeeping police, justice reform, prison systems, and the UN Mine Action Service. The current appointment of Desyatnikov to a related security and mine action role has drawn attention to the presence of Russian officials in sensitive UN positions.

The appointment comes against a backdrop of significant geopolitical tension. In March 2022, the UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to condemn Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The resolution called for the immediate withdrawal of Russian troops. During that period, Ukrainian diplomats urged the UN Secretariat to remove Russian citizens from senior and security-related roles.

Further developments have complicated the diplomatic landscape. In March 2023, the International Criminal Court in The Hague issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin regarding the unlawful deportation of Ukrainian children. That same month, a UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry released a report documenting evidence of widespread torture, executions of civilians, and sexual violence committed by Russian forces in Ukraine.

Russian military structures and private military companies have also played a role in the closure of several UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. These missions, including those in Mali and the Central African Republic, have seen Russian support for military juntas. Human rights reports have named these entities in connection with mass killings of civilians in the region.

The relevance of mine action is particularly acute for Ukraine. In April 2024, UN bodies and the Ukrainian government stated that Ukraine had become the most heavily mined country in the world. As a result of actions by the Russian military, more than 156,000 square kilometers of Ukrainian territory require surveying and clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance. Desyatnikov's new role will involve overseeing the global coordination of these critical clearance and police operations.