Kelvin Ong is Director for United Nations Sanctions in the Security Council Affairs Division in the Department of Political Affairs. In this position, he assists the Security Council and its sanctions committees to design, implement and evaluate sanctions regimes in counter-terrorism, non-proliferation, and civil war settings. For this role, he manages a team of 78 United Nation staff members and 63 sanctions investigators. In addition, he leads United Nations efforts on the Iran nuclear issue, including the monitoring and reporting on the restrictive measures contained in resolution 2231 (2015). A United Nations staff member since 2001, he has held other headquarters and field positions including: Head of the United Nations Mediation Support Unit, Chief of the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration of fighting forces; Team Leader for Justice and Security Sector Reform; Special Assistant in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan ; Special Assistant to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Liberia; and Special Assistant to the Assistant-Secretary General for the Rule of Law and Security Institutions. His direct field experience, includes countries such as Afghanistan, Bosnia, Haiti, Liberia, Nepal, Haiti, and Sudan, amongst others. Before joining the United Nations, he directed a research programme on the United Nations and regional organizations at the International Peace Academy (IPA), a New York-based think tank. Prior to the IPA, he served in the Singapore military for 11 years as a commissioned officer (Airborne Rangers).
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