UN chief names new spokesman

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki- moon on Wednesday named Stephane Dujarric as his new spokesman to replace Martin Nesirky, and also tagged Farhan Haq, currently acting UN deputy spokesman, as Dujarric's deputy. Praising Nesirky as a "model spokesman," Ban told reporters that his mouthpiece for more than four years had sought for a change because of "family affairs" and would take up an as-yet undesignated post at the UN office in Vienna. Ban also praised Nesirky, who is British, for his "sound advice " during "tumultuous times," admitting that after four years of traveling widely with him, "he might be tired." The secretary- general is one of the most widely traveled, if not the most widely traveled, to have held his position. Nesirky steps down on March 7 and Dujarric assumes his new duties on March 10. Dujarric, director of news and media division in the UN Department of Public Information, has served for a year and seven months as former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's last spokesman. He has also served as a spokesman for the UN Development Program. Haq has served for years as an associate spokesman in the Office of the Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General under both Annan and Ban.