Ms. Maria Kantamigu brings to UNTSO more than 25 years of experience in international affairs, including over 20 years with the United Nations at UN Headquarters in New York and in peacekeeping missions.

Prior to joining UNTSO, Ms. Kantamigu served in the Middle East Division of the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs -Department of Peace Operations (DPPA-DPO) as the lead backstopping UNDOF and UNTSO, and previously UNIFIL.

Ms. Kantamigu served as Acting Team Leader of the Middle East Team covering the Middle East Peace Process and backstopping UNTSO, UNDOF, and UNSCO. She also served in the UN Electoral Assistance Division/DPPA.

Ms. Kantamigu’s experience in the UN further includes serving as Special Assistant to the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (DSRSG) of the UN Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone (UNAMSIL), the Executive Representative of the Secretary General (ERSG) of the UN Integrated Office in Sierra Leone (UNIOSIL) and of the SRSG of the UN Mission in Eritrea and Ethiopia (UNMEE).

Early in her career, Ms. Kantamigu was a Programme Development Adviser to the UNDP Resident Representative, Zimbabwe and a Coordination Specialist supporting the Resident Coordinator and UN Country Team (UNCT) in Zimbabwe. Ms. Kantamigu also supported the Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone.

Before joining the UN, Ms. Kantamigu served in the Zimbabwe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and served as a diplomat in Germany.

Ms. Kantamigu holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from Princeton University, USA, and a Master’s degree in International Policy from the University of Bristol, United Kingdom. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Administration from the University of Zimbabwe.