FIJI’s permanent representative to the UN, Peter Thomson is running for the presidential seat at the UN General Assembly with only one other candidate.
Yesterday he confirmed he was in the run with a “gentleman from Cyprus”.
The Government of Cyprus’ Foreign Affairs Ministry website shows that in June 2016, the General Assembly will convene to elect its president, who will hail from the Asia-Pacific Group, for the term 2016-2017.
In April 2013, the Government of the Republic of Cyprus nominated Ambassador Andreas D. Mavroyiannis, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Cyprus and former Deputy Minister for European Affairs as its candidate for the post of President of the 71st session of the General Assembly.
“The situation is a contest initially in the Asian Pacific group of the United Nations, but probably, ultimately to be decided by the General Assembly in June,” Mr Thomson said.
With about six more months to go before a final decision is made through voting, Mr Thomson said the contest was going to be decided by simple majority.
“That’s how it will be decided, so it’s a two way contest with a gentleman from Cyprus.”
UN webservices.org reveals Ambassador Thomson took up office as Fiji’s permanent representative to the United Nations in February 2010 and he serves concurrently as Fiji’s Ambassador to Cuba.
Mr Thomson has held office as vice-president of the UN General Assembly for the 2011-2012 sessions and as president of the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority for the 2011-2012 sessions.
For 2013, he chaired the UN’s largest negotiating bloc, the Group of 77 (G77) and China.
From January 2014 to January 2015, he served as president of the executive board of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS.
He is the President of the Council of the International Seabed Authority for its 2015-2016 sessions.
He was in September nominated by Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama for the presidency of the 71st Session of the UN General Assembly.
