ambassador

The new Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, Jerry Matthews Matjila, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 5 July 2016.

From 2011 until his latest appointment, Mr. Matjila was the Director-General (Permanent Secretary) of South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation.  He was previously Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva from 2010 to 2011, serving concurrently as Consul-General to the French-speaking cantons of Switzerland.

Mr. Matjila was Deputy Director-General of the Asia and Middle East Branch in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation from 1999 – 2001 and also from 2006 and 2010.  He was Ambassador to Belgium, Luxembourg and the European Community from 2001 to 2006.

He was the first High Commissioner of South Africa to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Nepal from 1995 and 1999, having joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994.

Mr. Matjila was educated in France, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Norway and Germany.

Born on 14 July 1952, he is married.

profile

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (212) 692-2465

June 2016 : Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and Permanent Representative of the Republic of South Africa to the United Nations, New York
2011 – 2016 :

Director General/Permanent Secretary of the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)

– Appointed G-20 Sherpa

– Appointed BRICS Sherpa

2011 :

Elected to Chair the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization (ILO)

Elected Chair of the Ad-Hoc Committee on the Elaboration of Complementary Standards to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) in the Human Rights Council (Geneva)

Elected Chair of the Inter-Governmental Working Group (IGWG) on the issue of Private Military and Security Companies (PMSC) in the Human Rights Council

2010 :

Permanent Representative of South Africa to the UN and International Organizations, Geneva

Consul-General of South Africa to the French Speaking Counties in Switzerland

2006-2010 :

National Coordinator of Forum for China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC)

National Coordinator for India-Africa Dialogue Forum

National Focal Point for India, Brazil and South Africa (IBSA)

National Coordinator for Tokyo Conference on Africa’s Development (TICAD)

2001-2006 :

South African Ambassador to the European Union (EU), Kingdom of Belgium and Grand-Duchess of Luxembourg

Chaired ACP Political and Cultural Sub-Committee

1999-2011 : Deputy Director General at the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO)
1996-1999 : Chief Director in the Department of Foreign Affairs
1994-1999 : Appointed First South African High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and the Maldives
1994 : Director at the Department of Foreign Affairs
1994 : Joined the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of South Africa (now called the Department of International Relations and Cooperation)
1988-1994 : ANC Chief Representative to Japan, China, Malaysia, South Korea, Indonesia and Singapore
1985-1994 : Deputy Representative of ANC in Sweden and Finland

EDUCATION
   
     
1996-1999 : Masters Programme: University of Stratclyede Glasgow, Scotland
     
1992-1993 : Diplomas in Diplomatic Training, France, Belgium, London, Norway, Germany
     
1976-1994 : Fulltime and Active Member of the African National Congress (ANC) in Botswana, Zambia, Angola, Tanzania, Sweden, Norway and Finland
     
2006 : Leadership Development Programme, University of South Africa
     

Downloadable Profile (Acrobat)