Benon Sevan, a Cypriot diplomat and former special representative of the UN Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Pakistan, passed away on Monday at the age of 88. He played a key role in diplomatic efforts to end the war in Afghanistan in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
His death was confirmed by the Cyprus Mail newspaper and the Armenian General Benevolent Union. Sevan, who joined the UN Secretariat in 1965, had a long and distinguished career with the organization, serving in various capacities. He was known for his work on complex international issues.
In 1988, Sevan was appointed as the senior political adviser to the UN Secretary-General's representative for the settlement of the Afghanistan crisis. A year later, in 1989, he became the Secretary-General's personal representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Geneva Accords.
His mission involved monitoring the withdrawal of Soviet forces from Afghanistan, facilitating the return of Afghan refugees, and promoting a political solution to the civil war. After the UN observer mission ended, he headed the newly established Office of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan and Pakistan (OSGAP).
In 1991, Sevan also took on the responsibility of coordinating the UN's humanitarian and economic assistance programs for Afghanistan. He was promoted to Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs in 1992.
He later gained prominence for managing the controversial UN Oil-for-Food Programme in Iraq from 1995 to 2003, a program that was marred by corruption allegations. Sevan survived the deadly 2003 Canal Hotel bombing in Baghdad, which killed 22 UN staff members.
Source: Cyprus Mail
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