- Born
- Died
- Nickname
- Serg
- Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1948, Vieira de Mello joined the United Nations in 1969 while studying philosophy and humanities at the University of Paris (Panthéon-Sorbonne). He spent the majority of his career working for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva, and served in humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Bangladesh, Sudan, Cyprus, Mozambique and Peru.
In 1981, Vieira de Mello assumed his first high-profile position, when he was appointed the Senior Political Adviser to UN forces in Lebanon. Thereafter, he occupied several important functions at UNHCR's Headquarters from 1983 to 1991 (chef de cabinet of the High Commissioner; director, Regional Bureau for Asia and Oceania; and director, Division of External Relations). Between 1991 and 1996, he served as special envoy of the High Commissioner for Cambodia, director of repatriation for the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC), head of civil affairs of the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in Bosnia, and United Nations regional humanitarian coordinator for the Great Lakes Region of Africa. In 1996 he was appointed United Nations assistant high commissioner for refugees before being posted to New York in January 1998 as under-secretary-general for humanitarian affairs and emergency relief coordinator. Vieira de Mello briefly held the position of special representative of the secretary-general in Kosovo and also served as United Nations transitional administrator in East Timor. On September 12, 2002 he was appointed United Nations high commissioner for human rights. In May of 2003, he was asked by the secretary-general to take a four-month leave of absence from his position as high commissioner to serve in Iraq as special representative of the secretary-general. It was there that he was tragically killed on August 19, 2003.
"Sergio," as he was known by the scores of government officials, UN staff members and others who considered him a good friend, was a remarkably effective international civil servant. As a result, he was asked by the United Nations to tackle some of the world's most complicated humanitarian and peacekeeping challenges. His track record of success was extraordinary, whether it was fashioning a refugee protection and resettlement scheme for Vietnamese refugees, overseeing the repatriation of 300,000 Cambodian refugees from Thailand, setting up a UN civil administration in Kosovo, or managing the political transition in East Timor. His assets included extraordinary intelligence and good judgment, graciousness and wit, and a profound dedication to the humanitarian principles that inform the UN Charter. He was the obvious choice to lead the UN effort in Iraq, to which he has given his life. His friends and colleagues at the United Nations and elsewhere will best honor his memory by persevering in the humanitarian and human rights work to which Sergio was so committed.- IMDb Mini Biography By: IL
- SpouseAnnie Personnaz(June 2, 1973 - May 23, 2003) (divorced, 2 children)
- ChildrenAdrien Vieira de Mello
- Parents
- Charming, charismatic and well-dressed
- Problem solver
- Met Carolina Larriera in East Timor, and by the time the mission came to an end, they had been with each other for three years. Carolina and Sergio were engaged and were to be married after coming back home from Baghdad, in a mission that ultimately led to his death.
- Has two children from his relationship to Annie Personnaz, whom he had been separated since the late 1980s: Laurent Vieira de Mello (b. 1978) and Adrien Vieira de Mello (b. 1980).
- Upon learning of Vieira de Mello's death, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declared three days of mourning in his honor. The Government of Brazil also posthumously instituted the Sergio Vieira de Mello Medal to honor his legacy in promoting sustainable peace, international security and better living conditions for individuals in situations of armed conflict, challenges to which Vieira de Mello had dedicated his life and career.
- He worked for more than 34 years in several United Nations humanitarian and political programs. Before his death, he was considered a likely candidate for UN Secretary-General.
- Despite his stated wishes to be buried in Rio de Janeiro, his hometown and for 34 years, the place of his home leave, and where he was given a state funeral with full military honors that was attended by president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and other international dignitaries, his body was taken away from Brazil and Vieira de Mello was buried at the Cimetière des Rois in Geneva, Switzerland.
- [March, 2003] We live in a time when many around the world have profound feelings of insecurity and fear. There is a sense that no one is safe. This insecurity has been heightened by acts of terrorism that have affected us all. It may sometimes feel as if we no longer have any stable points of reference to chart our way through the uncertainties of the world. But I am firmly convinced that a comprehensive strategy for security can and must be guided by upholding the rule of law and respecting human rights.
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