Building on his promise to ensure gender parity and geographical diversity at the UN, Secretary-General-designate Antonio Guterres has appointed three women from Nigeria, Brazil and South Korea for top positions at the world body.
Guterres announced on Thursday, December 15, 2016, that he will be appointing Amina Mohammed of Nigeria as the UN Deputy Secretary-General on his assumption of office as the 9th chief of the United Nations in January 2017. He appointed Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti of Brazil as his Chef de Cabinet and said he intends to create the position of Special Advisor on Policy, and to appoint Kyung-wha Kang of South Korea to this new role.
Mohammed, 55 is currently the Minister of Environment of Nigeria. She also served as Special Advisor to Ban on Post-2015 Development Planning, where she was instrumental in bringing about the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Viotti, 62, is presently the Under-Secretary for Asia and the Pacific at the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A career diplomat since 1976, she served most recently as Brazil’s Ambassador of to Germany (from 2013 to 2016) and as Brazil’s Permanent Representative to the UN (from 2007 to 2011).
Kang, 61, is currently the Chief of the Secretary-General-designate’s Transition Team. She has served as Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator since April 2013, and was Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights from January 2007 to March 2013.
