Gabon Ambassador Patrice Tonda presents credentials

UNIDO HQ Vienna, 23 November 2006

The new Permanent Representative of Gabon to UNIDO, Patrice Tonda, presented his credentials to Director-General Kandeh K. Yumkella today.

Prior to his current appointment, Mr. Tonda was serving as Permanent Representative of Gabon to the UN in Geneva (since 2003).

Mr. Tonda has been in the foreign service since 1996, first serving as Ambassador to Senegal, then in 1997 as Ambassador to Senegal, also covering Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, The Gambia and Guinea.

Prior to joining the foreign service, Ambassador Tonda was the CEO of Wongo International, a Belgian entity specialising in information systems and in development of enterprise management software (1991-1993). Being an engineer, in 1981 he joined a uranium mining company as Deputy Director-General. In 1988 he became a special advisor on mining to the President of Gabon.

From 1989 to 1990 he was professor of industrial economics at Libreville University's Institut National Supérieur de Gestion and from 1991 to 1993 professor of experimental physics at l'Athénée Royal d'Ath in Belgium.

The Ambassador has a degree in experimental physics.

He is married and has two children.