Mr. Baso Sangqu, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations, presented his credentials to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 16 March 2009.

Prior to his appointment as Permanent Representative, Mr. Baso Sangqu joined the South African Mission to the United Nations in December 2006 as Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative to reinforce the delegation during South Africa’s tenure as non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, focusing on African issues on the Security Council Agenda and strengthening the AU-UN relationship.

Immediately before that, Mr. Sangqu served as South Africa’s Permanent Representative to the African Union from November 2002 to December 2006 and also represented South Africa during its membership to the African Union Peace and Security Council. During the same period, he was also Ambassador to Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti and was Permanent Representative of South Africa to the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

While working as Acting Chief Director for Economic Development, Multilateral Development and Cooperation in the Department of Foreign Affairs between October 2001 and 2002, Mr. Sangqu also served as Head of the Substance Unit for the (Johannesburg) World Summit on Sustainable Development from February 2001 to 2002.

Ambassador Sangqu joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in October 2000 as Director for Social and Economic Programmes, African Multilateral Development.

His previous Government service included appointments as Economic Policy Analyst and Research Consultant in the Presidency in 2000 and as Chief Education Specialist in the National Department of Education from January 1996 to May 1998.

Prior to the first democratic elections in South Africa in 1994, Ambassador Sangqu worked as Regional Coordinator and Secretary for the National Youth Development Forum and National Education Coordinating Committee respectively, in the Transkei region of South Africa.

He was a student and youth activist in South Africa during the struggle against apartheid, and joined the liberation movement in his early youth. While studying Civil Engineering at the University of Natal in 1986, Mr. Sangqu was arrested and detained for over six (6) months for his activities in the struggle.

Mr. Sangqu was awarded the honour of Mandela Economic Scholar in 1998 to further his studies abroad. He holds a Master’s degree in Development Economics from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Transkei.

Born on 21 April 1968, in Dutywa, Eastern Cape Province, he is married with children.