Secretary-General Appoints Major General Ingrid Gjerde of Norway Force Commander, United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Major General Ingrid Gjerde of Norway as Force Commander of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

Major General Gjerde succeeds Major General Cheryl Pearce of Australia, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedication and leadership during her two years of service.

With a distinguished career in the Norwegian Defence Force, Major General Gjerde is currently serving as Head of Strategic Plans.  She was previously Chief of Public Affairs for the Norwegian Defence Force (2018-2019), as well as Chief of Staff and second in command of the Norwegian army (2016-2018).

Major General Gjerde headed the Army Military Academy (2013-2016) and led her country’s contingent deployed to Afghanistan (2011-2012).  Among other postings, she commanded the Norwegian King’s Battalion (2006-2009) and was deployed within the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), commanding a Norwegian platoon (1994-1995).

A graduate of the Norwegian Military Academy, the United States Army Command and Staff College and from United States Army War College, she holds a master’s degree (Cand. Polit.) from Oslo University in Norway.