In February 2017, UN Secretary-General António Guterres appointed Mohamed Chande Othman, Tanzania’s former chief justice, previously member of the UN Panel of Experts (see above) to review potential new information, on the circumstances of the crash.
The Secretary-General reaffirmed his commitment pursue the full truth of this matter in a statement on May 2, 2017. The statement coincided with a note to correspondents, which provided a short update on Mr. Othman’s progress in his role as Eminent Person.
In September 2017, UN Secretary-General António Guterres presented a letter to the President of the UN General Assembly along with the new report by the Eminent Person. The Secretary-General called upon the “General Assembly to remain seized of the matter and to endorse the report of the Eminent Person and his recommendations, with a view to ensuring comprehensive access to relevant information and to establishing the truth.”