The Deputy Director-General provides advice and support to the Director-General in the implementation of his or her mandate.
The Deputy Director-General line-manages the six divisions of the Technical Secretariat, chairs several administrative and financial committees and meetings, and helps manage the OPCW’s verification regime.
The Deputy-Director General exercises decision-making through the delegated authority of the Director-General.
Deputy Director-General
H.E. Ambassador Odette Melono
Ambassador Odette Melono joined the Technical Secretariat on 14 January 2019 as the Deputy Director-General.
She is a career diplomat and foreign policy expert.
Prior to joining the Secretariat, Ms Melono served as the Ambassador of the Republic of Cameroon to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg from 2008 to 2018. During that time, she was also the Permanent Representative to the OPCW and served as the Chairperson of the OPCW Executive Council from May 2016 to May 2017.
Ms Melono was the first ever full Cameroonian Ambassador to serve in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Before her appointment as Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ms Melono served at the Presidency of the Republic of Cameroon since 1995.
Ms Melono graduated from the University of Paris X with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree in Law, followed by a Master’s Degree in Corporate Tax Management from the University of Paris-Dauphine. She subsequently obtained a Master’s Degree as well as a Doctorate in International Relations from the University of Yaoundé II.
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