UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Patricia O'Brien of Ireland as the new UN legal chief, the UN announced Wednesday.

    O'Brien, 51, is the first woman in the organization's history to hold that post, replacing Nicolas Michel of Switzerland.

    She brings to the job "an extensive experience of legal and international affairs to integrate the legal dimension in the internal decision-making processes, to promote the rule of law in international relations, and to contribute to the strengthening of the culture of the end of impunity," UN spokesperson Michele Montas said.

    O'Brien has been serving as legal adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs in Ireland, during which time she provided counsel on legal issues arising in Irish foreign policy, particularly public international law, human rights law and European Union law.