UK appoints own Middle East envoy
Miliband gains own envoy
Friday, 03, Aug 2007 12:00
Gordon Brown has appointed his own Middle East envoy.
Michael Williams has been appointed the UK's special representative on the Middle East and special projects.
As well as addressing the stalled Middle East peace process, he will deal with the wider region including Iraq and Iran.
Mr Williams will be employed through the Foreign Office and report to David Miliband and Gordon Brown from September.
He is currently serving as UN secretary general's special co-ordinator for the Middle East peace process and his special representative to the Palestinian Liberation Organisation.
Last year he was instrumental in passing Security Council resolution 1701, which helped halt the Israel-Lebanon war.
Through the 1990s, Mr Williams served with the UN in Cambodia, the former Yugoslavia, Geneva and New York.
He worked at the Foreign Office between 2000 and 2005 and was special advisor to Robin Cook and Jack Straw before returning to the UN in 2006.