NEW INCB SECRETARY

Jonathan Lucas (Seychelles) has been appointed as Secretary of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) and Chief of the INCB Secretariat.

Mr. Lucas succeeds Koli Kouame (Côte d'Ivoire) who retired from the organization on 31 January 2010.

Prior to his appointment as Secretary of INCB, Mr. Lucas served as the Regional Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, based in Pretoria.

Mr. Lucas started his professional career in 1982 as Consultant with the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Switzerland and subsequently joined the United Nations in 1984 as Associate Social Affairs Officer. Throughout his career, Mr. Lucas served in various capacities, including as Legal and First Officer for the policy-making organs of UNDCP and as Senior Programme Management Officer in the Office of the Executive Director/Director-General, of the then Office on Drug Control and Crime Prevention/United Nations Office at Vienna. From 1998 to 2004, Mr. Lucas served Secretary of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs and Secretary of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
Mr. Lucas holds a Master's degree in Political Science from Acadia University, Canada, and a Ph.D. degree in International Law/Economics from the Graduate Institute for International Studies (IUHEI), Geneva, Switzerland.

Mr. Lucas is expected to take up his new assignment in Vienna on 22 March 2010.

posted on 3 February 2010