BY OGUNNIRU TESLEEM AKOREDE
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres Monday formalized his prior announcement that Ms. Amina J. Mohammed of Nigeria will continue in her role as Deputy Secretary-General during his second term.
In delegating development coordination to the Deputy Secretary-General, the Secretary-General set in motion the most ambitious reform in the history of the UN development system. Ms. Mohammed’s leadership helped advance the conceptual shift from the UN that the Member States called for in adopting the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Over the last five years, the UN Sustainable Development Group was strengthened to enhance global leadership and oversight for development and the UN established a strengthened UN Resident Coordinator system as the foundation of a more effective development system.
The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for the Deputy Secretary-General’s leadership of the UN Sustainable Development Group and her determination to reinforce collective results and maximize the impact of the UN development system on the ground. From our robust response to the socio-economic 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 SDGs alive at the country level and protecting the Paris Agreement, despite significant headwinds.
Prior to first assuming her role as Deputy Secretary-General in January 2017, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Special Adviser to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning. Before joining the UN, she worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals, providing advice on issues including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, and coordinating poverty reduction interventions.
