Former Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo Confirmed as Head of UNDP
BELGA
The former Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo was confirmed on Monday to lead the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
His appointment, approved by 172 countries at the UN, makes him the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and head of the largest operational agency in the UN system, which is responsible for the fight against poverty and inequality worldwide.
The United Nations General Assembly approved on Monday the nomination of the former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo as the Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Only Russia abstained during the vote.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, had proposed Mr. De Croo’s candidacy for this high-level position last October.
The General Assembly vote was merely a formality.Alexander De Croo succeeds Achim Steiner, who was appointed in 2017 and renewed in his duties four years later.
The position the former Belgian Prime Minister takes on within the UNDP is the highest within the secretariat itself and the third-highest position within the United Nations. Alexander De Croo will also become the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Vice-Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group, which coordinates all UN agencies on the ground.
The UNDP, headquartered in New York, works to combat poverty, reduce inequalities, build climate resilience, and promote good governance.
The organization brings together governments, international partners, businesses, and local communities. With over 23,000 employees worldwide and an annual budget of approximately $5 billion, the UNDP is the largest operational development organization of the United Nations.
In a reaction on X, Alexander De Croo thanked the UN member states for the trust placed in him. “Development is one of the wisest investments we can make. It leads to peace and protects our planet,” he added, promising to adopt an approach of “listening, cooperating, and achieving results, so that no one is left behind.”
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