Cedric de Coning, ACCORD’s Research Fellow, has been appointed to the United Nations (UN) Peacebuilding Fund Advisory Board by the UN Secretary-General, H.E. Mr Ban Ki-Moon, for a two-year period that started in January 2012. The appointment follows Cedric’s nomination to the position by the Government of South Africa, through its Permanent Mission to the UN in New York, and on the recommendation of the UN Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding, Ms Judy Cheng-Hopkins.
Cedric’s appointment comes in recognition of his vast experience in Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding initiatives in Africa. He has served as a South African diplomat in Washington D.C and Addis Ababa and as an Elections Observer with the African Union in Ethiopia, Sudan and Algeria. He has also worked as a Civilian Peacekeeper with the UN in Timor Leste and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations in New York. Cedric is also a Special Advisor to the Head of the AU’s Peace Support Operations Division (PSOD). For the last several years Cedric has been a Research Fellow and a Principle Advisor on Peacekeeping and Peacebuilding at ACCORD.
Vasu Gounden, the Founder and Executive Director of ACCORD, has lauded Cedric’s appointment terming it a reflection and recognition of Cedric’s dedication to the constructive resolution of conflicts on the continent and a firm acknowledgement of ACCORD’s commitment to peace on the continent.
