La Lime, Helen Ruth Meagher, 1951-

<p>Helen Ruth Meagher La Lime<br>
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).</p>

<p>United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced on 14 October 2019 the appointment of Helen Meagher La Lime of the United States as his Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).</p>

<p>Ms. La Lime has served since 2018 as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative heading the United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (MINUJUSTH).</p>

<p>Prior to joining the United Nations, Ms. La Lime had a distinguished career with the United States Foreign Service which included high-level diplomatic postings, notably as the Ambassador to Angola (2014-2017) and Director of Outreach at the United States Africa Command in Germany (2011-2013).</p>

<p>From 1996-2011, she served in various field positions with the Department of State, including as Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in South Africa (2008-2011), Consul General of the United States in Cape Town, South Africa (2006-2008), Ambassador of the United States to Mozambique (2003-2006), Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Morocco (2001-2003) and in Chad (1996-1999). From 1999-2003, she served as the Director and Deputy Director of the Department of State’s Office of Central African Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs.</p>

<p>Ms. La Lime received a master’s degree from the National Defence University in Washington, D.C., and holds a bachelor’s degree in languages and linguistics from Georgetown University, Washington, D.C. In addition to English, Ms. La Lime is fluent in French, Spanish and Portuguese.</p>

<p>Helen Meagher La Lime (born 1951) is a diplomat, former United States Ambassador to Angola, and United Nations Special Representative in Haiti.</p>

<p>Born Helen R. Meagher, she is one of three daughters of Ray Meagher, a Texaco employee, and his wife Teresa. She lived in Angola during part of her childhood because of her father's work assignment there with Texaco. She was an undergraduate at Georgetown University, where she earned a bachelor of science degree in 1973. She was awarded a master of science degree from the National Defense University in 1996.</p>

<p>La Lime began her career teaching English in Europe. During that time she lived in France, Portugal and the Netherlands. She began her foreign service career when she joined the U.S. State Department in 1980, and has held a variety of policy and leadership roles in the U.S., Europe and Africa. Her first assignments brought her to European locations, including Germany, Poland and Switzerland.</p>

<p>From 1993 to 1995 La Lime worked at the Bureau of International Organization Affairs, the U.S. government's main outreach arm to the United Nations and many other international organizations.</p>

<p>Her next assignments were mainly in Africa. She worked at the embassy in Chad from 1996 to 1999. Her next two assignments were at the Office of Central African Affairs, first as deputy director and then as director. After she served in Morocco for two years, President George W. Bush nominated her to be ambassador to Mozambique, where she served from April 2003 to December 2006. She then served in two diplomatic roles in South Africa from 2006 to 2011.</p>

<p>Just prior to being nominated for the role of U.S. ambassador to Angola, La Lime was in Germany with the U.S. Africa Command, having earned the rank of Minister Counselor. In that role she was focused on American cooperation with African countries from a military standpoint.</p>

<p>On September 10, 2013, President Obama nominated her to be the United States Ambassador to Angola. On May 15, 2014, the Senate confirmed her nomination by voice vote.</p>

<p>She was for a time a Senior Advisor at Albright Stonebridge Group.</p>

<p>In August 2018, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres named her Special Representative in Haiti and head of the United Nations Justice Mission in Haiti (MINUJUSTH, the successor to the MINUSTAH peacekeeping mission. When MINUJUSTH's mandate ended on October 15, 2019, she then became head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH).</p>

<p>In addition to English, she speaks French, German, Portuguese, Polish and Spanish. She has a son and daughter.</p>

<p>The southwest African nation of Angola—a youthful country sitting on vast reserves of oil and diamonds—will soon have a new ambassador from Washington in the person of Helen La Lime. A career member of the Senior Foreign Service, La Lime lived in Angola as a child because her father worked for Texaco. La Lime has been detailed to the Defense Department since 2011, serving as director of Outreach for the United States Africa Command. Nominated by President Barack Obama on September 10, 2013, La Lime would succeed Christopher McMullen, who served in Luanda starting in October 2010.</p>

<p>Born circa 1951 to Ray and Teresa Meagher, Helen R. Meagher La Lime earned a B.S. at Georgetown University in 1973 and as M.S. at the National Defense University in 1996.</p>

<p>After teaching English in France, Portugal and the Netherlands, she joined the State Department in 1980. La Lime served early career postings as a consular officer in Bern, Switzerland, and Stuttgart, Germany; as a consular officer and general services officer in Warsaw, Poland; and as principal officer and consular officer in Zurich, Switzerland.</p>

<p>Later, La Lime served as an international economist at the Bureau of International Organization Affairs (1993-1995); as deputy chief of mission at the embassy in N’Djamena, Chad (1996-1999); and as deputy director in the Office of Central African Affairs.</p>

<p>After serving as director of the Office of Central African Affairs from 2000 to 2001, La Lime served four consecutive tours in Africa. She served as deputy chief of mission at the embassy in Rabat, Morocco, from 2001 to 2003; as ambassador to Mozambique from April 2003 to December 2006; as consul general in Cape Town, South Africa, from 2006 to 2008; and as deputy chief of mission and chargé d’affaires at the embassy in Pretoria, South Africa, from 2008 to 2011.</p>

<p>Helen Meagher La Lime speaks French, Portuguese, Spanish and Polish. She is married to Robert Q. La Lime, and the couple has two children, Matthew and Adriana.</p>

<p>Helen La Lime served a distinguished 38-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service during which she earned the rank of Minister Counselor and served twice as ambassador. In 2013, she was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as Ambassador to Angola.</p>

<p>Prior to this she held many important roles in the State Department including Director of Outreach at the United States Africa Command in Germany (2011-2013), Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in South Africa (2008-2011), Consul General of the United States in Cape Town, South Africa (2006-2008), Ambassador of the United States to Mozambique (2003-2006), Director of the Department of State’s Office of Central African Affairs, Bureau of African Affairs (1999-2003), and Deputy Chief of Mission at the United States Embassy in Morocco (2001-2003) and in Chad (1996-1999). Ambassador La Lime also worked in the Bureau of International Organization Affairs from 1993 1995.</p>

<p>Since October of 2019, Ambassador La Lime has served as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti. Ambassador La Lime holds a master’s degree from the National Defense University, and a bachelor’s degree in languages and linguistics from Georgetown University. She is fluent in French, Spanish and Portuguese.</p>