WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, released the following statement Monday on the appointment of Amina Mohammed as Deputy Secretary General, and gender parity in incoming Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ Secretariat:
"I applaud incoming Secretary General Antonio Guterres’ appointment of Nigeria's Environment Minister, Amina Mohammed as Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Amina Mohammed most recently served as Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development under Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon, where she championed the development of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals and 169 targets which will guide the UN’s global development priorities through 2030. Amina Mohammed’s leadership, intellect and keen diplomatic skills will undoubtedly benefit the United Nations greatly.
"I also applaud the incoming Secretary General’s decision to prioritize gender parity in the highest levels of the UN during his first 100 days. The organization has historically failed to achieve gender parity, with women making up just 34.8 percent of secretariat staff and 21.5 percent of under-secretaries-general. I am particularly pleased that Mr. Guterres put his words into action with the appointment of two additional women to senior positions in his Secretariat—Brazilian diplomat Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti as Chef de Cabinet, and South Korean diplomat Kyung-wha Kang as Special Advisor on Policy. I have full confidence that Mr. Guterres’ team will continue to reflect his commitment to gender parity, and I look forward to seeing more qualified women appointed throughout the United Nations."
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