Africa-Press – Kenya. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) on Monday, September 13, announced Costa Rican economist Rebeca Grynspan as the new Secretary General.
She replaces Mukhisa Kituyi, who resigned in February 2021, to pursue his presidential dreams.
Grynspan, who was nominated for the post by UN Secretary General, António Guterres, and approved by the General Assembly in June, will be the first woman to serve in the position.
“I am honoured to begin work at UNCTAD at a critical time for our world. Covid-19 has exposed the widespread inequalities and vulnerabilities of the world and the development model. As we recover from the pandemic, we have an opportunity to rebalance the global economy, boost resilience and ensure shared prosperity.”
“We must take action today to transform trade and reshape our global economy to overcome barriers to greater prosperity for all and embark on a sustainable development path that will benefit everyone,” she stated.
Grynspan is a woman of many firsts and has a career spanning many years where she has held several high-level positions.
Prior to her UNCTAD appointment, she served as the first woman as the Ibero-American Secretary General.
She is also a former under Secretary General of the UN and associate administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), and a former regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean for the organization.
Before his resignation, Kituyi served in the UN post for over 7 years. He was first appointed in September 2013 before being re-elected for another 4-year-term in July 2017.
“I am ready to serve the country owing to my international experience.”
“It is no longer a secret. I will be going for the presidency in 2022. Nobody should tell us who to support. We need a president who will save this country and Kenyans from a bad economy,” Kituyi stated in a past interview.
