Nigeria’s former Minister of the Environment, Amina Mohammed, has been officially sworn in as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations at the headquarters in New York.
She took her oath of office from the Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, who appointed her as his deputy in December last year.
The Nigeria and UK trained development expert, was acclaimed in Nigeria as one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s most vibrant and best-performing appointees.
She served as UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser to immediate past Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning. She was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals.
As Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Amina is likely to play a more backstage role at the global political bloc located in New York. Her appointment according to the incoming Secretary-General was in line with restructuring the organisation to reflect gender parity.
Deputy SGs are hardly seen as compared to the substantive SGs but the new regime could play up a more outward role for Amina who would certainly be key in the UN’s development agenda going forward.
In the post of Deputy UN SG, Amina Mohammed replaces Ban Ki-moon’s deputy, Swedish Jan Eliasson, who bowed out along with Ki-moon. She works directly with Guterres, as they work to achieve global development goals and to help tackle climate change.
Guterres said about his new Deputy in December: “I am pleased to announce that I will be appointing Ms Amina J. Mohammed of Nigeria as my Deputy Secretary-General and Ms Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil as my Chef De Cabinet.
“I am happy to count on the efforts of these three highly competent women, whom I have chosen for their strong backgrounds in global affairs, development, diplomacy, human rights and humanitarian action.”
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