Sha Zukang

Honorary Dean, Institute of International Studies, Fudan University; Former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs

Sha Zukang, the former United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, currently serves as the Honorary Dean of the Institute of International Studies of Fudan University.

Mr. Sha, born in September 1947, is a native of Jiangsu Province. A graduate of Nanjing University, Mr. Sha started his diplomatic career as a staff member at the Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom and served in a variety of positions in the Chinese Diplomatic Service. From 1995 to 1997, he served as Ambassador for Disarmament Affairs and Deputy Permanent Representative of the People’s Republic of China to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland. He served as the first Director-General of the Department of Arms Control in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1997 to 2001. He took office as the Chinese ambassador to the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2001 to 2007. From 2007 to 2012, he took office as the United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs.

Mr. Sha has extensive experience with multilateral organizations and international conferences. He was Chairman of the Preparatory Committee and Chairman of the Committee of the Whole United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) 11^th session from 2003 to 2004, President of the Trade and Development Board of the 50^th Session of UNCTAD, Chairperson of the Government group of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization from 2002 to 2003, and member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament matters from 1994 to 1999. In addition, he has served as president, vice-president, chairperson, coordinator and expert in many international conferences in the field of arms control, trade, intellectual property, social affairs, and telecommunications among others.

Mr. Sha participated, as chief negotiator or representative of the Chinese government, in the negotiation and review of many important international treaties on arms control and disarmament such as the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, the Chemical Weapons Convention, the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention and the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. He made great contributions to mine clearance in China and many parts of the world. He encouraged the development of Chinese non-governmental organizations, and facilitated the opening of offices in China by international organizations.