TheNewsGuru

Tag: António Guterres

  • Amina Mohammed’s Statement on appointment as UN Deputy Secretary-General

    The opportunity and responsibility to serve people and planet as the next United Nations Deputy Secretary-General is truly humbling.

    I am most grateful for the confidence and trust demonstrated by the United Nations Secretary-General-designate Antonio Guterres and President Muhammadu Buhari.

    As directed by Mr President, I will continue in the meantime to lay strong foundations with various important ongoing initiatives critical to the government’s success in the Environment sector. These include our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Climate Agreement, the successful launch of the first Sovereign Green Bonds in 2017, the ongoing Ogoni clean-up and development of the Great Great Wall.

    The next phase of my continued service to the people of Nigeria at the global level will certainly build on the rich insights and lessons drawn from engaging with leaders, colleagues and stakeholders across our beloved nation.

    Over the last 3 decades and during my contribution to the Millennium Development Goals, the Sustainable Development Goals and recently working for environmental protection as part of President Buhari’s vision to transform Nigeria, I have been blessed with the unwavering support and inspiration from leaders, my colleagues, activists, and stakeholders from the polluted creeks in the Niger Delta, to the eroded (Kumaro and Alpha) and overflowing (Makoko) communities in Lagos, Nnaka erosion site in Anambra and others, through the polluted Sharada industrial sites of Kano, the drought affected areas(Bama) in Borno as well as the degraded dunes in Yobe and others parts of the catchment area of the disappearing Lake Chad.

    I will continue to work for the rights of the poor, especially women and the youth, ensuring we leave no one behind.

  • Antonio Guterres officially sworn-in as UN secretary-general

    Antonio Guterres officially sworn-in as UN secretary-general

    The United Nations (UN) Secretary-General-designate, Antonio Guterres, was sworn-in as the new secretary-general of the world body at an oath of office ceremony held on Monday.

    Witnessed by senior diplomats of member states and senior UN officials, Guterres repeated the oath after current General Assembly President Peter Thomson.

    “I, Antonio Guterres, solemnly swear to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the functions entrusted to me as Secretary-General of the United Nations, to discharge these functions and regulate my conduct with the interests of the United Nations only in view, and not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any government or other authority external to the organization.”

    After being sworn in by the UN General Assembly President, Guterres addressed the 193 member nations, saying the world body must work to simplify, decentralize and make more flexible its sprawling bureaucracy.

    “It benefits no one if [it] takes nine months to deploy a staff member to the field,” he said, adding that “The United Nations needs to be nimble, efficient and effective. It must focus more on delivery and less on process, more on people and less on bureaucracy”.

    On October 13, the UN General Assembly appointed the former Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Guterres, as the 9th secretary-general in the 71-year history of the United Nations to succeed retiring Ban Ki-moon who steps down at the end of this year.

    The five-year term for Guterres will start January 1, 2017 and end December 31, 2021.

    Guterres, a 67-year-old politician, served as UN High Commissioner for Refugees from June 2005 to December 2015. Before joining the UN refugee agency, Guterres spent more than 20 years in government and public service. He was the prime minister of Portugal from 1995 to 2002.

    Meanwhile, rumour has gone round that Nigeria’s Minister of Environment will become UN Deputy secretary-general. However, the leadership of the nation has reacted to the rumour.

  • Presidency reacts to Minister of Environment UN announcement

    Presidency reacts to Minister of Environment UN announcement

    Nigeria’s Presidency has reacted to reports on the alleged appointment of Amina Mohammed, Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, as Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) of the United Nations (UN), saying “she remains our Minister of Environment”.

    TheNewsGuru reported that the Nigeria’s Minister of Environment is to become the new UN DSG to newly elected UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, according a tweet by CBS news reporter for the United Nations, Pamela Falk.

    But, Malam Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari has made a number of tweets to assure Nigerians would be fully informed on any development on the matter.

    “There is a lot of exuberance on the net concerning a UN job for Mrs @AminaJMohammed,” the senior special assistant tweeted, adding that “She remains our Minister of @FMEnvng”.

    He stressed “If there is anything on this that is released officially, we will let Nigerians know”.

    “I am pleased to know that she enjoys so much goodwill,” he added.

    If the reports making the rounds are confirmed, the Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, is expected to be deputy to Antonio Guterres, who will assume office as UN Secretary-General effective January 1, 2017.

    Mohammed, who hails from Gombe State in North-East Nigeria, had formerly served as adviser to the outgoing UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-Moon.

    Mohammed was appointed minister of Environment by President Muhammadu Buhari in November 2015. She was also recently appointed by President Buhari to serve in the African Union (AU) Reform Steering Committee as Nigeria’s Representative.

  • Nigeria’s Minister of Environment to become UN Deputy Sec-Gen

    Nigeria’s Minister of Environment to become UN Deputy Sec-Gen

    Nigeria’s Minister of Environment, Amina Mohammed, will soon be confirmed as Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations according to reports.

    If confirmed, she would deputise for newly elected Antonio Guterres who is set to take office as the UN scribe on January 1, 2016.

    According to a tweet by Pamela Falk, CBS news reporter for the United Nations, the world body would soon release a statement confirming the appointment of the Buhari’s Minister.

    Until her appointment as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in November 2015, she was the Assistant Secretary/Special Advisor to the United Nations Secretary General on Post-2015 Development Planning.

     

    Amina Mohammed was also recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari to serve in the African Union (AU) Reform Steering Committee as the Nigerian representative.

    The committee, headed by President Paul Kagame of Rwanda is tasked with ongoing institutional reforms of the AU Commission and its organs.

    The committee which comprises eminent persons from the continent will work on part-time basis to produce a report for presentation to the 28th African Union Summit in January 2017.

    A versatile and accomplished development practitioner in the public, private and civil society sectors with over three decades experience, Mrs Mohammed had served as the Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on MDGs, serving three Presidents over a period of six years.

    The new Secretary General is expected to take his oath of office on 1 January, 2017.