United Nations Secretary General Ban ki Moon has announced the appointment of Atul Khare of India as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Mr. Khare served with distinction as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Timor-Leste and Head of the United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste from December 2006 to December 2009. He had earlier worked as Chief of Staff, and later Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, with the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor. During his tenure with the Indian Foreign Service, Mr. Khare served in diplomatic missions in France, Mauritius, Senegal, Thailand and the United Kingdom, as well as the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York. <br/>