Nairobi, 3 March 2009. – The Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, has appointed Mr. Achim Steiner as Director General of the United Nations Office in Nairobi (UNON), effective 1 March 2009. Mr. Steiner has been the Executive Director of the Nairobi-based United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) since June 2006 - a position he will continue to retain.
Mr. Steiner is succeeding Mrs. Anna Tibaijuka as Director-General of UNON. The Secretary-General made this decision in view of his policy of rotation among his senior managers. Mrs. Tibaijuka will continue to serve as the Executive Director of the Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), a position she has held since 2002. The Secretary-General is grateful to Mrs. Tibaijuka for the valuable support and direction that she has provided UNON during her tenure as Director General since 2006. He is counting on her continued leadership as Executive Director for UN-Habitat.
