Ghassan Salamé is a Lebanese academic, politician and diplomat. He served as the Lebanese Minister of Culture from 2000 to 2003. He is the founding Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) and professor of International Relations Emeritus at Sciences Po. Ghassan Salamé also taught international relations at the American University of Beirut and Saint Joseph University in Beirut.
Ghassan Salamé was born in 1951 in Lebanon. He studied public law (Saint Joseph University, University of Paris); literature (PhD in humanities, Paris III Sorbonne-Nouvelle University); and political science (PhD, Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne University).
In 2000-2003, Salamé served as Lebanon’s Minister of Culture, as well as Chairman and Spokesman of the Organization Committee for the Arab Summit (March 2002) and of the Francophone Summit (October 2002) in Beirut.
He sat on the Board of many NGOs such as the International Crisis Group (Brussels), the International Peace Institute (New York), and the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Egypt). He was a senior advisor to the United Nations Secretary-General from 2003 to 2006. Salamé served as the political advisor to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) in 2003, where he played a critical role in bringing together Iraqi factions. He joined the Commission on the Rakhine State (Myanmar), which was chaired by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Salamé served as the head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya from 2017 to 2020.
He is the Founding Chairman of the Arab Fund for Arts and Culture (Beirut)and the author of several books on the politics of the Middle East. Salamé was made Chevalier de la Legion d’ honneur in 2004. He studied Law, Humanities (PhD) and Political Science (PhD).
“Kofi Annan was both a mentor and friend. I have always been and remain impressed by his profound patience in adversity. A question posed by Kofi Annan was always done so to close a gap he had identified, his answers always determined by the well-being of the most impoverished. Kofi was aware of his distinguished position without losing his humane approach. It is an honour to continue his legacy as a member of the Kofi Annan Foundation Board.”