Ms Mari Yamashita (Japan)

             UNMHA Officer-in-Charge and Acting Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC)

Mari Yamashita of Japan was appointed by the Secretary-General as Deputy Head of Mission for the United Nations Mission to support the Hudaydah Agreement (UNMHA), in May 2024. In her position she serves also as Deputy Chair of the Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC).

Ms. Yamashita brings to the position extensive experience in preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and political affairs developed over 30 years with the United Nations both at Headquarters and globally. Since December 2020, she has been the Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Office in Belgrade.

Among various senior-level positions, she served as the Deputy Director of the Asia Pacific Division of the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, as Deputy Head and Director of the Peacebuilding Support Office, Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo and as External Relations Adviser in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General.  Ms Yamashita also held leadership positions in the field, including assignments with the United Nations Mission in Nepal, United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe-United Nations Joint Operation in Armenia.

Ms Yamashita holds a Bachelor of Law degree from Sophia University (Jochi Daigaku) in Japan and a Master of Arts degree in Law and Diplomacy from The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University in the United States.  She speaks English, Finnish, French, German and Japanese.

Ms Yamashita succeeds Ms Vivian van de Perre of Netherlands.