United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Lynn Hastings of Canada as Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, where she will also serve as the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  She succeeds Jamie McGoldrick of Ireland to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his commitment and dedicated service. 

Ms. Hastings brings to this position over twenty years of experience in humanitarian affairs, development coordination and political affairs.  Since 2018 she has served as Deputy Director in the Operations and Advocacy Division of OCHA in New York.  Previously, she was Senior Adviser in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) (2014-2018), Country Director for Pakistan in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (2011-2014) and Chief of Staff in the Office of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) (2003-2011). 

Ms. Hastings has also served as United Nations representative to the Office of the Middle East Quartet Envoy for the Gaza Disengagement, and in senior roles in the United Nations peacekeeping missions in Kosovo and East Timor, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).  Prior to joining the United Nations, she practiced law in the private sector and conducted legal research for the International Commission of Jurists. 

Born in Canada, Ms. Hastings holds a Master of Laws from the University of Edinburgh in the United Kingdom, a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor as well as a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Windsor in Canada.