New head of the SAEFL International Affairs Division
Bern, 27.10.2005 - Thomas Kolly will take over as head of the SAEFL’s International Affairs Division as per 1 November 2005. Kolly succeeds Beat Nobs, who has been appointed Swiss ambassador to New Zealand.
Thomas Kolly who hails from Pfeffikon in canton Lucerne entered the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs DFA in 1988. From 2002 he headed the Sectoral Policies Unit at the Integration Office DFA/DEA in Bern where he was responsible for the dossiers on the free movement of persons, land transport, air transport, research, energy and environment. Prior to that, he held posts at the OECD delegation in Paris, the Economic and Financial Affairs Division of the DFA, the Economic Division at the Swiss Embassy in Washington and deputy head of mission at the embassy in The Hague.
The new division head is 47-years-old and married with three children. He studied law at the University of Fribourg and obtained the Diplôme des hautes études européennes from the Collège d’Europe in Bruges (B). He also passed the bar exam in canton Lucerne.
Thomas Kolly will take over as the head of the International Affairs Division as per 1 November 2005.
Beat Nobs: From the SAEFL to New Zealand
Thomas Kolly replaces Beat Nobs, whom the Federal Council has appointed Swiss ambassador to New Zealand, the Republic of the Fiji Islands, the independent State of Samoa and the Kingdom of Tonga. Beat Nobs took up his post at the beginning of October.
Beat Nobs completed his studies in Zurich and Vancouver B.C./Canada with a doctorate and teaching degree. In 1988 he entered the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. Beat Nobs headed the International Affairs Division at the SAEFL from 1997, he has held the title of ambassador since 1999. During this time he represented Switzerland’s interests at international conferences and negotiations. In 2004, he was elected vice-president of the tenth Conference of the Parties, which is the highest body of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Address for enquiries
Further information:
Thomas Kolly, Head
Sectoral Policies Unit at the Integration Office DFA/DEA
Tel. 031 322 22 03
SAEFL Press Service
Tel. 031 322 90 00
Publisher
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/en
