He was also the chief legal advisor during Nelson Mandela’s groundbreaking presidency until 1999.
Mr. Haysom had previously served as Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Southern Africa and Sudan. He was also Special Representative and head of UN Missions in Somalia and Afghanistan.
From 2007 to 2012 he was Director of Political, Peacekeeping and Humanitarian Affairs in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General and from 2005 to 2007 he headed the Office of Constitutional Support to the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI).
‘Strong defender’ of UN values
UN Secretary-General António Guterres paid tribute to Nicholas “Fink” Haysom in a statement on Wednesday, expressing his deep sadness at his passing.
Guterres described it as a “Tireless peacemaker and firm defender of the values of the United Nations..”
“Mr. Haysom dedicated his life to justice, dialogue and reconciliation,” the UN chief said, from his central role in South Africa’s democratic transition “to Years of leadership in UN positions in some of the most complex and fragile environments in the world..”
Guterres said Haysom always combined deep legal knowledge with sound political judgment, always focused on improving the lives of ordinary people, wherever he served.
Colleague, friend, mentor
“The United Nations mourns the loss of an extraordinary colleague, friend and mentor. Nicholas Haysom’s legacy will live on in the peace processes he promoted, the institutions he strengthened and the principles he helped make a reality. all over the world,” said the Secretary General.
Listen to our interview with Mr. Haysom recorded in 2024, below, and you can listen to an in-depth podcast he recorded for UN communications chief Melissa Fleming’s show, Awake at Night, here.