Herve Ladsous, a seasoned French diplomat, was appointed Friday to lead United Nations peacekeeping operations around the world. Ladsous, 62, will replace compatriot Alain Le Roy with the rank of UN undersecretary general for peacekeeping operations. The peacekeeping position, one of the highest in the UN system, is given to an official from one of the five permanent countries in the UN Security Council. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, who appointed Ladsous, said peacekeeping missions are in a "very challenging period." There are about 17 UN peacekeeping operations around the world, manned by more than 100,000 troops contributed by dozens of countries, according to a report of the German Press Agency "DPA". Ban said Ladsous brings to the UN post "an acute political judgement, strong crisis-management capacities, especially in the area of peacekeeping, a profound understanding of the challenges facing the United Nations. His capacity to build consensus is recognized by his peers all over the world." Ladsous held various positions in the French Foreign Ministry since 1971, including as ambassador to the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna and ambassador to Indonesia.
