UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Swedish diplomat Ingeborg Ulrika Ulfsdotter Richardson as Deputy Special Representative for the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and Resident Coordinator in the country.
Richardson succeeds Zimbabwe’s Ines Chuma, who held the post on an interim basis. Guterres expressed gratitude for Chuma’s “dedicated service” during her tenure.
With over 30 years of experience in development, human rights, humanitarian aid, and post-conflict recovery, Richardson brings deep institutional knowledge to the role. She previously served as Deputy Special Representative in the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH), where she also held the positions of Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator.
Her UN career spans multiple regions, including West and Central Africa, the Caribbean, the Balkans, and Southeast Europe. She worked closely with the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) as Resident Coordinator from 2018, and earlier held the same role in Cape Verde (2013–2018).
Richardson’s development credentials include serving as UNDP Resident Representative in Gabon (2012–2013), and Deputy Representative in Turkey (2007–2012) and Cuba (2004–2007), where she also led regional disaster preparedness efforts. She began her UN career in 1995 as a volunteer and later worked with the African Development Bank in Côte d’Ivoire as a programme coordinator and portfolio manager.
She holds a master’s degree in Development Economics from the University of Gothenburg and a bachelor’s in Social Sciences from Lund University. Fluent in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish, Richardson is known for her nuanced understanding of political, social, and human rights contexts.
Her appointment comes just weeks after Ghana’s Hanna Tetteh was named Special Representative and Head of UNSMIL, signalling a renewed push by the UN to strengthen its leadership presence in Libya amid ongoing political fragmentation and stalled electoral processes.
