Former Trade minister Mukhisa Kituyi is set to become the next head of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), taking over from Thailand’s Supachai Panitchpakdi who beat him four years ago.
A statement posted Thursday at the UNCTAD’s website said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally nominated Dr Kituyi to head the 194-country member body when Dr Panitchpakdi’s second four-year term ends in August.
If confirmed by the UN General Assembly, Dr Kituyi’s first four-year term as Secretary-General will start on September 1, putting Kenya at the zenith of global trade and investment policy advocacy. For a man widely celebrated for reigniting developing countries’ activism against perceived domination by rich nations during his term as Trade minister, the UNCTAD is likely to benefit immensely from Dr Kituyi’s experience.
The UN agency established in 1964 has a responsibility of promoting development-friendly integration of developing countries into the world economy by ensuring that domestic policies and international actions are mutually supportive in bringing about sustainable development. It is the UNCTAD that publishes the annual world investment reports which show that global investment capital has largely shun African countries except those with abundant natural resources such as minerals and oil.
As head of the UNCTAD secretariat, Dr Kituyi is expected to play up these concerns in his interaction with member Governments, UN agencies and regional commissions. He is also expected to popularise perfectives of poor nations in his interactions with governmental institutions, non-governmental organisations, the private sector, including trade and industry associations, research institutes and universities worldwide. Source: Business Daily Africa
Filed under: United Nations Tagged: Ban Ki-moon, Kenya, Mukhisa Kituyi, United Nations, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development
