United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has sworn into office Hanna Serwah Tetteh as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) in Kenya.
The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, announced the appointment of a former Ghana’s Foreign Affairs Minister, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh in July this year.
She takes over from Ms. Sahle-Work Zewde, who has been appointed as Special Representative to the African Union (AU) and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU).
Apart from serving as Foreign Affairs Minister (January 2013 – January 2017), Ms. Tetteh, also served in the Cabinet of the government of Ghana as Minister of Trade and Industry (February 2009-January 2013).
She is a practicing lawyer and holds a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Ghana.
She was also a member of the National Security Council and the Armed Forces Council during her tenure as Foreign Affairs Minister.
From 2014 to 2015, she was the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
While at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, she served as a member of the Government’s economic management team, a member of the board of the Millennium Development Authority, a member of the National Development Planning Commission, and was also the Chairperson of the Ghana Free Zones Board.
She has been an MP for Awutu Senya Constituency twice.
In a tweeted message Ms. Tetteh said: “It was my honour to be sworn in yesterday [Friday, 2 November] by the Secretary-General @antonioguterres as the Director-General of the United Nations Office, Nairobi”.
It was my honour to be sworn in yesterday by the Secretary General @antonioguterres as the Director General of the United Nations Office, Nairobi. pic.twitter.com/BAvtBLYO8T
— Hanna Tetteh (@HannaTetteh) November 3, 2018
The United Nations Office at Nairobi, (UNON), is one of four major United Nations office sites where numerous different UN agencies have a joint presence.
Established in 1996, it is the UN’s headquarters in Africa. UNON is headed by a Director-General, a UN official at the Under-Secretary-General level.
Prior to her appointment, four other individuals had served in the position.
They were; Sahle-Work Zewde: Ethiopia, 2011–2018
Achim Steiner, Brazil: 2010–2011
Anna Tibaijuka, Tanzania: 2006–2009
Klaus Töpfer, Germany: 1998–2006.
Newsdesk report by Ruth Abla Adjorlolo
