 He has served as the Chairperson of the Government Group of the Governing Body of the International Labour Organization, President of the Trade and Development Board of the United Nations, Chairman of the Preparatory Committee and the Committee of the Whole of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and Coordinator of the Like-Minded-Group of the Human Rights Council.His latest assignment was as Secretary-General to the Rio Earth Summit, a global conference on sustainable development held in 2012 in Rio de Janeiro.He is noted for being outspoken.