The Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary-General for UN-HABITAT Doctor Aisha Kirabo Kacyira has thanked Rwanda’s government pointing out president Paul Kagame for the support towards her new appointment.
Speaking to igihe.com, Kirabo said her appointment was an achievement to all Rwandans having been so competitive.
“I am happy that I have been appointed to this position. This is not my personal achievement but an achievement to all Rwandans. This position was an open competitive position that I applied after recommended by my government.” Kirabo said.
“Other factors that led to my success besides the support from my government include the experience I have in various domains right from the parliament to the Kigali City Mayor and now the governor,”She added in a telephone interview.
“I am thankful to the UN community for the trust in me and am ready to give my support, knowledge and skills to the UN-Habitat office in such times that the UN-Habitat is undergoing several changes,”.
Yesterday the United Nations Secretary General’s office in Newyork appointed Kirabo currently the Governor of the Eastern Province as Deputy Executive Director and Assistant Secretary General to UN-Habitat.
United Nations Under-Secretary General and UN-HAIBTAT Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, said he was satisfied with the appointment of the new UN-HABITAT Deputy Executive Director who Ms. Inga Björk-Klevby from Sweden.
“Ms.Kirabo brings to UN-HABITAT the experience of someone who knows daily urban challenges that citizens and governments are facing. She has been a Mayor of one of the fastest urbanizing cities in the world, Kigali, and she is currently Governor of Rwanda Eastern Province”. Said Dr. Clos.
“We should be able to build a political commitment to accommodate rapid increases in urban populations, to prevent the emergence of slums, to face climate change and to fight against urban poverty and inequality. I am sure that Ms. Kirabo will be a big support in rethinking the urban agenda and in adopting a new approach to the challenges of urbanization,” He added.
In her new role, Dr. Kirabo will assist the Executive Director, Dr. Joan Clos, in the overall management of UN-HABITAT to achieve its mandate and will support the new UN-HABITAT agenda to face the urban challenges by strengthening urban policies to generate more equitable, wealthy and sustainable cities.
Among her many important responsibilities, Ms. Kirabo will support Dr. Clos in advancing the key reviews currently underway at UN-HABITAT, including the review of UN-Habitat’s strategic priorities for the coming years leading to Habitat III in 2016.
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