General Director of the UN European Division

S. Ordjonikidze was born on 14 March 1946 in Moscow. He graduated from MGIMO in 1969, in 1978 he defended his scientific degree in international law at Moscow Diplomatic Academy. He has the diplomatic rank - Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador and he has several RF state awards.

He started his diplomatic career in 1969 and before 1975 he worked at the Permanent Representation of USSR in UN. Later he was the assistant to the deputy minister of foreign affairs and from 1978 to 1983 he worked again at the Permanent Representation of USSR in New-York as an advisor and senior advisor.

After coming back to the native country he was appointed as the deputy director of the MPD of MFA USSR and held this position till 1991. From 1991 to 1996 he was the Permanent Representative of the USSR and RF in the UN. From 1996 to 1999 he was the director of the department of international organizations of MID RF, and after that he was appointed as the deputy minister of foreign affairs.

In 2002 he was appointed by C.Annan at the position of the General Director of the UN Division in Geneva and he started this position on 1 March 2002.

He has several publications on international and legal issues.

He speaks English and Spanish and possesses some knowledge of French.