Hennadiy Yosypovych Udovenko (22 June 1931 – 12 February 2013) was a Ukrainian politician and diplomat. He served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, was the 52nd President of the United Nations General Assembly (1997–1998) and a People's Deputy of Ukraine (1998–2007). He was from Dnipropetrovsk Oblast. He studied international relations at Kyiv University, having graduated in 1954. He also did graduate studies in agricultural economics at the Ukrainian Research and the Development Institute for Agricultural Economy and Organization from 1956 to 1959. Early life and career Udovenko began his career in 1952 as secretary to the Minister and secretary to the Governing Board of the Ministry of the building materials industry of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. From 1955 to 1958, he was head of the collective farm in the Domantivka village of the Skvyra district of the Kyiv region. Diplomatic career Udovenko entered diplomatic service in 1959 as 1st secretary, counsellor at the Department of International Economic organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1965–71, he worked at the United Nations Office in Geneva, Switzerland. Between 1971 and 1977, he was successively head of the personnel department and head of the International economic organizations department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian SSR. From 1977 to 1980, he was director of the Interpretation and Meetings Division at the Department of Conference Services of the United Nations office in New York City. In 1980–1985, he was Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, and was assigned the rank of ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary in January 1985. From February 1985 to March 1992, he was Permanent Representative of Ukraine to the United Nations and vice-chairman of the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid. 1989–1991 – vice-president of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations. At the same time, in 1991–1992, he was Deputy Foreign Minister of Ukraine. In 1992–1994, he served as ambassador of Ukraine to Poland. From 1994 until 1998, he was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine and member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine. In September 1997, he was elected president of the 52nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly for one year, continuing as president of the 10th emergency special and 20th special sessions of the UN GA. Political activities On 14 May 1999, Udovenko