2010: H.E. Mr. Hamidon Ali (Malaysia)

2010-president

Biography

His Excellency Hamidon Ali was elected sixty-sixth President of the Economic and Social Council on 19 January 2010. Ambassador Ali is currently the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations in New York.  Prior to this, he was Malaysia’s Ambassador to Indonesia (2003-2005); High Commissioner of Malaysia to Singapore (2001-2003); and the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the United Nations Office in Geneva (1996-2001).

He is also presently the Chairman of the UN Population Award Committee.  He was Chairman of the 5th Committee; Management and Budgetary of the 62nd Session of the UN General Assembly and was also Vice-President of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in 2008.  He has served as Chairman of the Co-ordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) and the ASEAN New York Committee (ANYC); and Vice-Chairman of the UN Forum on Forests (UNFF) in 2006-07.  In Geneva, Ambassador Hamidon Ali was also Malaysia’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and to the United Nations Conference on Disarmament (CD).  He was co-ordinator of the Asian Group on Human Rights, the Chairman of the OIC Group, the Chairman of the Group of Representatives of G15, the Chairman of the Commonwealth Group of Developing Countries in the WTO, the Chairman of the Asian Group in UNCTAD, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Group in ILO, and he was also a member of the Advisory Board of South-North Development Monitor published by the Third World Network.  Ambassador Hamidon Ali chaired the “Friends of Dr. Supachai” group in the run-up to the selection of Dr. Supachai Panichpakdi as Director-General of the WTO. 

As a career diplomat Ambassador Hamidon Ali has also served in various capacities in Malaysian missions in Paris, Beijing and Tokyo.  He was also the Under-Secretary I in-charge of multilateral and regional issues, including APEC and IOR-ARC during the period 1991-1996, and has represented Malaysia in various ASEAN, IOR-ARC and APEC meetings.

Ambassador Hamidon Ali is a graduate of Monash University and Harvard University. In recognition to his services he has been awarded the following awards:

Darjah Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) from the King of Malaysia which carries the title Datuk; 
Darjah Kebesaran Setia Mahkota Kelantan Yang Amat Terbilang (S.P.S.K.) from the Sultan of Kelantan which carries the title ‘Dato’; 
Darjah Yang Mulia Mahkota Johor (DPMJ) from the Sultan of Johor, which carries the title Dato’; 
Darjah Indera Mahkota Pahang (DIMP) from the Sultan of Pahang which carries the title Dato’; 
Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN) from the King of Malaysia; and 
Commander of the Order of Bernado O’Higgins from the Government of the Republic of Chile.

Ambassador Hamidon Ali is married to Datin Amy Low Abdulah and has two sons.

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