Nigeria’s former Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, has been appointed to serve as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term.
Mohammed, who doubles as the chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, was first appointed Deputy Secretary-General in 2017.
She announced her acceptance of the reappointment on Twitter earlier today. “I am deeply humbled to serve a second term as UN Deputy Secretary-General alongside @antonioguterres,” she wrote. “I begin this new term as a proud Nigerian woman with renewed hope in human solidarity and determination to keep the promise of the #SDGs. We will leave no one behind.”
In a press release yesterday announcing her reappointment, the UN and its Secretary-General, António Guterres, praised Mohammed’s leadership, especially in strengthening the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, formed by member states to fast-track the adoption of the sustainable development goals.
“The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the Deputy Secretary-General’s leadership of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group and her determination to reinforce collective results and maximize the impact of the United Nations development’s system on the ground,” the press statement said.
“From our robust response to the socioeconomic effects of the COVID-19 crisis, through a boost in climate action and unprecedented momentum for Financing for Development, to her strong emphasis on coherence across humanitarian, political and development action, her role was instrumental in keeping the Sustainable Development Goals alive at the country level and protecting the Paris Agreement on climate change, despite significant headwinds.”
