UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon appointed her upon his election to succeed Dr Kofi Annan, possibly as a reward to Tanzania, which was said to have played a key role in helping the former South Korean foreign minister win the job. Dr Migiro was the first woman to land the post.
A former foreign minister herself, she is leaving at a time when Mr Ki Moon is lining up a new team to carry forward his agenda after he was re-elected last year for a second and final five-year term.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mr John Haule, confirmed the news yesterday. The PS said Dr Migiro’s tour of duty at the New York based UN headquarters was over. “We have not received an official document from the UN, but I’m aware that her tenure is almost ending,” Mr Haule said on the phone. “She also confirmed this development on Thursday.”
The PS noted that the UN was undergoing major reforms that were bound to affect its offices worldwide under the “Delivering as One” programme. “But we at the foreign affairs are not the spokespersons on Dr Migiro,” Mr Haule added.
Separately, a source in Washington told The Citizen yesterday that news of her imminent departure from UN was circulating among close friends and Tanzanians living in the city.
“We have heard that she applied for an extension of her contract,” said one of the sources in an email communication. “But that is likely not going to happen as sources close to her say she is planning to return home.”
Dr Migiro is said to be in the process or organising how one of her children, who is enrolled in school in New York, can complete her studies without interruption.
She was the third deputy secretary-general and the first African woman to hold the prestigious post that was established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997 as part of reforms in the United Nations to help manage secretariat operations and ensure coherence of activities and programmes. The position was also meant to elevate the organisation's profile and leadership in the economic and social spheres.
In his New Year address, Mr Ban said he intended to build a new team that was strong on substance and diverse in composition—what he called “a team that works as one”.
He added: “Leading by example, I have placed priority on mobility, combining fresh perspectives and institutional continuity and synergy.”
With these criteria in mind, he said, he was undertaking a thorough review of the entire team and its management structure.
No comments:
Post a Comment