New Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone Presents Credentials

Department of Public Information • News and Media Division • New York

Biographical Note

(Based on information provided by the Protocol and Liaison Service.)

The new Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone to the United Nations, Shekou Momodou Touray, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary‑General Ban Ki-moon.

A legal practitioner by profession, Mr. Touray was enrolled as Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of Sierra Leone in Private Legal Practice in 1978. Prior to his new appointment, in addition to his wide-ranging legal practice, he was a member of Sierra Leone’s Bar Association sitting on the General Legal Council, from March 2007. Also, in January 2007, he was approved by the Parliament as a member of the National Telecommunications Commission. He was also a Presidential Appointee as Commissioner of the Law Reform Commission, in February 2003.

His legal career included a number of prominent cases, including those involving the civil and political rights of subjects in a number of Commissions of Inquiry, as well as cases involving corruption and treason charges. Since 2004, he had been participating in a high-level war crimes case at the Special Court for Sierra Leone, acting as a Lead Defence Council for Morris Kallon, one of the alleged leaders of the former Revolutionary United Front indicted by the Court. Mr. Touray withdrew from the case in January.

From 1966 to 1972, he worked at the Commonwealth and Foreign Service of Sierra Leone and served in the Ministry of External Affairs. His positions included the posts of Second Secretary at the Sierra Leone High Commission in London (September 1967-February 1969), Economic Secretary and Head of Administration at the Sierra Leone Consulate-General in New York (1969), and Second Secretary to the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York (1969-1971).

Mr. Touray holds a bachelor’s degree in economic studies from the Fourah Bay College, Sierra Leone, and an LLB, with honours, from King’s College, University of London. He passed the Bar examination in 1976 and obtained a Certificate in Advocacy from the Post-Final Training Course for Commonwealth Barristers in 1977.

Born on 22 September 1945 in Bonthe Sherbro, Sierra Leone, Mr. Touray is married, with five children.