The United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) reported that the new Deputy Head of the Mission, Japanese Mari Yamashita, arrived in the coastal governorate to carry out her duties.

The UN mission said in a press statement issued on Monday: “We are pleased to announce the arrival of the new Deputy Head of the Mission, Mari Yamashita from Japan, to Hodeidah Governorate on July 2, 2024, after meetings with her counterparts in Aden and Sana’a, and introductory calls with... The diplomatic community in the Jordanian capital, Amman.

The statement added that, within the framework of her new mission, Yamashita will also serve as Vice-Chairman of the Redeployment Coordination Committee, “and by utilizing her extensive experience in preventive diplomacy, peacebuilding and political affairs, she will play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and promoting lasting peace in Yemen.” ".

The UNMHA mission welcomed the new Vice President, who succeeded the Dutch woman; Vivien van de Beer, appointed Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the United Nations Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), said: “The UN mission family warmly welcomes Ms. Yamashita and looks forward to her leadership and contribution to promoting peace in Hodeidah, and are grateful for her service.”< /p>

The statement indicated that Yamashita has a distinguished career spanning more than 30 years, including leadership positions at United Nations headquarters and in the field. Most recently, she served as Representative of the Secretary-General and Director of the organization's office in Belgrade from 2020 to 2024.

Yamashita holds a bachelor's degree in law from Juchi Daigaku University - Sophia University (Japan) and a master's degree in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University (USA). In addition to English, she is fluent in Japanese, German, French, and basic Finnish.