Mohammed’s leadership key to ‘keeping the SDGs alive’: UN chief

In a statement confirming the reappointment, the Spokesperson’s Office said that that in delegating the role of coordinating the UN’s development work to his deputy, António Guterres set in motion, with her at the helm, “the most ambitious reform in the history of the UN development system.”

‘Conceptual shift’

“Ms. Mohammed’s leadership helped advance the conceptual shift from the UN that Member States called for in adopting the SDGs”, and during last five years, the UN Sustainable Development Group was strengthened to enhance global leadership and development oversight.

Furthermore, the UN has established a strengthened UN Resident Coordinator system as the foundation of a more effective way of promoting sustainable development worldwide, the statement said.

Maximizing the impact

The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Ms. Mohammed’s leadership of the Group, “and her determination to reinforce collective results and maximize the impact of the UN development’s system on the ground.”

The statement said that from the UN’s “robust response to the socio-economic effects of the COVID-19 crisis; through a boost in climate action and unprecedented momentum for Financing for Development”, with her “strong emphasis on coherence across humanitarian, political and development action”, the deputy UN chief has been “instrumental in keeping the SDGs alive at country level and protecting the Paris Agreement, despite significant headwinds.”

Taking a lead

Prior to first taking on the mantle of Deputy Secretary-General in January 2017, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment for Nigeria and Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Post-2015 Development Planning.

Before joining the UN, said the statement, she worked for three successive administrations in Nigeria, serving as Special Adviser on the Millennium Development Goals, providing advice on issues including poverty, public sector reform and sustainable development, and coordinating poverty reduction interventions.