Nasser al-Qudwa : Early life and education, Career, Personal life Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Nasser al-Qudwa

Palestinian diplomat

ناصر القدوة

2nd Palestinian Ambassador to the United NationsIn office
1991–2005^[1]PresidentYasser Arafat
Rawhi FattouhPreceded byZuhdi Labib TerziSucceeded byRiyad MansourForeign Minister of the Palestinian AuthorityIn office
February 2005 – March 2006Preceded byNabil ShaathSucceeded byMahmoud al-Zahar Personal detailsBorn1953 (age 70–71)Political partyFatahAlma materCairo University
Doctor of Dental Medicine and Surgery^[2]

Nasser Al Qudwa, also spelled Nasser Al-Kidwa^[1] (Arabic: ناصر القدوة; born 1953) is a Palestinian politician. A long-time activist in Fatah, he represented the Palestinian Liberation Organization at the United Nations from 1991 to 2005, when he became the Foreign Minister of the Palestinian Authority. Al Qudwa served in that role until 2006.

Early life and education

Al Qudwa was born in 1953. He attended Cairo University, graduating with a degree in dentistry in 1979.^[2] Then became an executive member of the Palestinian Red Crescent shortly after.

Career

Al Qudwa joined Fatah in 1969. He became president of the General Union of Palestinian Students in 1974. He is also a central-committee member of Fatah.^[3]

Qudwa represented his uncle Yasser Arafat and the Palestine Liberation Organization as an unofficial observer in the United Nations in 1987, then as a permanent observer in 1991.^[2] In 2005, he was succeeded by Riyad H. Mansour, when he became Foreign Affairs Minister in the Palestinian Authority Government of February 2005. Nasser served as United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan in the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).^[4] Al Qudwa was appointed deputy to Kofi Annan, then special envoy to Syria for the U.N. and Arab League in March 2012.^[5] He was responsible for the contacts with Syrian opposition groups.^[6] In 2014, Al Qudwa resigned from his position as U.N. Deputy Mediator on Syria.^[7]

On 21 March 2021, the Fatah Central Committee dismissed Al Qudwa from the party after he announced plans to run a separate list of candidates under the National Democratic Forum bloc in the 2021–22 Palestinian local elections. He also announced plans to back Marwan Barghouthi, serving life sentences in Israeli prison for murder, in the 2021 Palestinian presidential election, which was delayed indefinitely. Al Qudwa's announcement and subsequent dismissal represented fissures in Fatah, as Al Qudwa called for Fatah leaders to stand against PA President Mahmoud Abbas.^[8]

Personal life

Al Qudwa is the nephew of Yasir Arafat.^[9] He is the head of the Yasser Arafat Foundation.^[10]

References

^ ^a ^b Former Ambassadors Archived 24 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine, Permanent Observer Mission of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, (Retrieved 11 Jan 2015).
^ ^a ^b ^c Biographical Notes, United Nations, retrieved 22 January 2015
^ Levinson, Charles (12 October 2010). "Opposition Mounts Against Abbas". The Wall Street Journal. Ramallah. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
^ UN Press Release. United Nations. 17 MGeneral Union of Palestinian Students arch 2012
^ "Kofi Annan to head to Syria on Saturday as Russia and China step up peace efforts". Al Arabiya. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
^ "Annan deputy blocked by Damascus". Rappler. Agence France-Presse. 31 March 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
^ U.N. deputy mediator on Syria Nasser al-Kidwa resigns, Al Arabiya, 3 February 2014, retrieved 22 January 2015
^ "'Fatah to the bone': Who is Palestinian official Nasser al-Qudwa?". Al Jazeera English. 21 March 2021. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
^ "Profile: Nasser al-Kidwa". Asharq Alawsat. 6 March 2012. Archived from the original on 12 November 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2013.
^ "Arafat's Death Revisited; Israel Completes Separation Wall". MIFTAH. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 31 August 2012.