Choosing from over 100 nominations by Governments and other institutions, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan Tuesday named a Turkish former World Bank executive, who was responsible for developing new poverty reduction strategies, to head the important UN Development Programme (UNDP) for the next four years.
The nomination of Kemal Dervis, 56, now goes before the 191-member General Assembly for approval.
Mr. Dervis was Turkeys Finance Minister from March 2001 to August 2002. He had previously served for 22 years at the World Bank, where he was Vice President for Middle East and North Africa and Vice President for Poverty Reduction and Economic Management, according to UNDP.
In the anti-poverty post he was pivotal (stod centralt i) in developing the Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSPs) initiative, which calls on governments to involve civil society organizations (CSOs) and development partners in the process of devising national proposals on promoting economic growth.
– I believe Kemal Dervis would make an outstanding Administrator of UNDP, Mr. Annan said in a letter to the President of the programmes Executive Board, adding: – I chose him from an outstanding array of global candidates.
Mr. Dervis combines a proven practical and intellectual track records in development and international finance “with a passionate commitment to addressing the scourge of poverty” and his managerial skills would enable him to consolidate UNDPs critical role in addressing global priorities – from the 2000 Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which seek to reduce a host of socio-economic ills, to crisis prevention and recovery, Mr. Annan said.
He noted that Mr. Dervis could build on the successful six-year reform effort implemented by current Administrator Mark Malloch Brown, who, in that capacity, also chairs the UN Development Group (UNDG).
The new Administrator of UNDP is expected to take office before the annual fall meeting of the General Assembly.
With an annual budget of more than 3 billion US dollar (17 milliarder DKR), UNDP has staff on the ground in 166 countries helping people and their governments to meet global and national development goals. The Administrator of UNDP also chairs the UN Development Group (UNDG), which coordinates the international assistance and reconstruction work of UN agencies.
Mr. Dervis, a widely published economist and recognized expert on global economic governance, is credited with leading Turkey out of its worst economic crisis while serving as Turkeys Minister for Economic Affairs and the Treasury from 2001 to 2002.
His reform policies put an end to a prolonged recession and triple-digit inflation, putting Turkey on a path towards sustained growth and building the economic foundation of its eligibility for membership in the European Union.
Before his recruitment as Turkeys finance minister, Mr. Dervis worked at the World Bank for more than two decades. As Director of the Central Europe Department, he oversaw the European Union programmes for reconstruction of Bosnia in the mid-1990s, where he emphasized that “the strategy is to help the Bosnians help themselves.”
Mr. Dervis latest book, “For Better Globalization,” (Center for Global Development, 2005) was praised by former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo for its “out-of-the-box ideas” on global governance. Francis Fukuyama, a professor of International Political Economy, Johns Hopkins University said Mr. Dervis book offers “one of the most imaginative solutions to the problem of reorganizing the United Nations.”
In addition to his native Turkish, Dervis speaks fluent English, French, and German. Mr. Dervis holds a doctorate in economics from Princeton University and Masters and Bachelors degrees from the London School of Economics.
The incumbent UNDP Administrator, Mr. Malloch Brown, was appointed in December 2004 as the Secretary-Generals chief of staff. He agreed at the time to continue to serve as UNDP Administrator until the appointment of a successor.
Malloch Brown has led UNDP for the past six years, reforming the organization internally, expanding its resource base, and refocusing its efforts towards poverty eradication and democratic governance, including in post-conflict crises.
As chair of the UN Development Group, Malloch Brown has assumed a global leadership role in the campaign to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
– The Secretary-General could not have chosen a person who is more knowledgeable about development than Kemal Dervis, said Mr. Malloch Brown Tuesday, adding:
– I have worked with Kemal on many occasions, and have come to admire him greatly, both for the depth of his understanding of the issues and the strength of his commitment to meeting these challenges. I am confident that he will prove to be a superb leader, both for UNDP internally and for the attainment of the MDGs globally.
Mr. Dervis would become the first Administrator from a UNDP programme country rather than from a donor nation, Mr. Malloch Brown noted. Mr. Malloch Brown is a British citizen, and his five predecessors in the job were Americans.
Mr. Malloch Brown commented:
– Having served on both sides of the aisle, as an international adviser and as a government minister leading a major economic restructuring of his country, Kemal Dervis understands what kind of help is needed from the outside to drive change. I think he will be uniquely able to position UNDPs advisory and capacity building services as critical, practical sources of support to countries as they race to meet the MDGs.
The Secretary-General said at the outset of his search for a new UNDP Administrator three months ago that he is seeking a leader with first-hand development experience, either in a major development institution or in the government of a developing country.
He stipulated that the UNDP Administrator must have strong diplomatic, political and management skills, with the ability to lead a large international organization while mobilizing global support for the Millennium Development Goals.
Six distinguished candidates were selected for interviews with a specially constituted panel, which selected three finalists who then met with the Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette. The Secretary-General made his decision based on these interviews.
Aside from Mr. Dervis, the other five short-listed candidates were Fawzi Al Sultan, Kuwait; Baroness Amos, United Kingdom; Kaoru Ishikawa, Japan; (udviklingsminister) Hilde Frafjord Johnson of Norway and Ad Melkert, Netherlands.
Kilde: FNs nyhedstjeneste og www.undp.org
Se mere om Hilde Frafjord Johnsons nu fejlslagne kandidatur ved at skrive hendes navn i rubrikken søgeord under Arkiv ude i menuen til venstre.
