The Secretary-General deeply regrets the decision of the Government of the
Federal Republic of Somalia to declare the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission
in Somalia (UNSOM), Nicholas Haysom, persona non grata.
The Secretary-General has full confidence in Mr. Haysom, an experienced and
respected international civil servant who has distinguished himself in numerous
senior leadership roles, in the field and at UN Headquarters.
The doctrine of persona non grata does not apply to, or in respect of, United
Nations personnel. As described in the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic
Relations, the doctrine applies to diplomatic agents who are accredited by one
State to another in the context of their bilateral relations. The United Nations
is not a State and its personnel are not accredited to the States where they are
deployed, but work under the sole responsibility of the Secretary-General.
