Afif Emile Safieh: The Palestinian General Delegate to the UK and the Holy See
- Afif Emile Safieh was born in Jerusalem in 1950.
- Studied in Jerusalem at the "Collège des Frères".
- In 1972, he obtained his licence in Political Science and International Relations from the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.
- In 1974, he finished his cycle supèrieur (3eme cycle) en Sciences Politiques from the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, Paris.
- He was President of the Belgian section of the General Union of Palestinian Students from 1969 until 1971 then President of the French branch in 1974-1975.
- Between 1976 and 1978, he was deputy director of the Palestine Liberation Organisation Observer Mission to the United Nations, Geneva.
- Between 1978 and 1981, he was staff member in President Arafat's office in Beirut, in charge of European Affairs and UN institutions.
- Between 1981 and 1985, he was a researcher at the Centre for European Studies in the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium.
- Between 1985 and 1987, he was visiting scholar at the Centre for International Affairs, Harvard University.
- From 1987 until 1990, he was PLO representative to the Netherlands.
- He was involved in November-December 1988 in Stockholm negotiations that led to the official and direct American-Palestinian dialogue.
- Since September 1990, he is the Palestinian General Delegate to the United Kingdom.
- In January 1995, he was invited to join the International Board of Trustees of Bethlehem University, the Vatican-sponsored University in Palestine.
- Nominated Palestinian General Delegate to the Holy See, he presented his letter of credentials to His Holiness Pope John ll on November 6, 1995.
- Compilations of his articles have appeared in two books: ' Self determination', published by Al-Fajr printing press, Jerusalem, 1986 (jointly with his wife Christ'l Leclercq). 'One people Too Many?' published in the Hague in 1987, and 2 booklet; "Children of a Lesser God?" and "The peace process: from breakthrough to breakdown?" both published by the Palestinian General Delegation to the United Kingdom in 1997, by GA-Type Printers.
- He is married and has two daughters: Diana and Randa
