SG / A / 2040 *

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres today announced the appointment of Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee of Ghana as Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Department of Political, Peacebuilding and Humanitarian Affairs. peace operations.

Ms. Pobee succeeds Bintou Keita of Guinea, who has accepted a new assignment as Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO ). The Secretary-General is deeply grateful to him for his services and his contribution as the first Assistant Secretary-General for Africa in the Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations.

A career diplomat, Ms. Pobee brings more than 30 years of experience in international affairs and diplomacy with her Department of Foreign Affairs. Currently Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, she was previously Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations from 2015 to 2020. In this position, she carried out various special missions, notably as President of the African Group of Ambassadors in New York, Vice-President of the seventy-first session of the United Nations General Assembly, President of the New York Group of Friends of the Network of African Women Leaders, Co-Facilitator of the Meeting of High Level on Financing for Development 2019, and Co-Chair of the Group of Friends on Gender at the United Nations, among others.

Ms. Pobee was previously Deputy Head of Mission and Chargé d’affaires at the Ghana High Commission in Pretoria (2012-2015), Director of the Office of Information and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2010-2012) and Head of Chancellery at the Embassy of Ghana in Washington, DC (2006-2010). She was Acting Director of the Human Resources and Administration Offices (2006) and Information, Culture and Linguistics (2004-2006). Assigned to the Ghanaian Embassy in Tel Aviv in 2000, she served as Minister Counselor and Deputy Head of Mission (2002-2004) and Chargé d’affaires (2000-2002). Ms. Pobee was also Acting Director of the Bureau of Personnel and Training (1998-2000), after being assigned to the Permanent Mission of Ghana to the United Nations Office in Geneva (1995-1998) and the Embassy in Moscow, where she was first secretary (1994-1995).

A graduate of the University of Ghana, Ms. Pobee also holds an MA in Development Studies with a focus on Women and Development from The Hague Institute for Social Studies. She also holds degrees in public administration and multilateral diplomacy from the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration and the Geneva Institute of International Studies.

* This replaces the press release BIO / 4741 of July 31, 2015.

For news media. Not an official record.