UN Appoints Egyptian Ambassador Karim Haggag to Disarmament Advisory Board

Ethiomonitor – Addis Ababa 

January  20, 2026

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Egyptian Ambassador Karim Haggag, Director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), to the UN Disarmament Advisory Board (ABDM), effective immediately.

The ABDM, established in 1978, advises the Secretary-General on arms control and disarmament issues and also serves as the Board of Trustees for the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR).

Haggag, the first Arab and African to lead SIPRI since its founding in 1966, brings over 25 years of experience in the Egyptian diplomatic corps, focusing on regional security, arms control, and non-proliferation. He has held various academic positions and currently serves as a nonresident Fellow at Harvard’s Belfer Center.

SIPRI, based in Stockholm, is known for its research on conflict and security, providing critical data and policy recommendations to global stakeholders.