SECRETARY-GENERAL PROPOSES APPOINTMENT OF INGA-BRITT AHLENIUS OF SWEDEN AS UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES

Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL PROPOSES APPOINTMENT OF INGA-BRITT AHLENIUS OF SWEDEN

AS UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR INTERNAL OVERSIGHT SERVICES

Secretary-General Kofi Annan today proposed for approval by the General Assembly the appointment of Inga-Britt Ahlenius of Sweden as Under-Secretary-General for Internal Oversight Services for a five-year non-renewable term.

Mrs. Ahlenius is currently Auditor General of Kosovo and was previously Auditor General of Sweden.  She was appointed Auditor General of the Swedish National Audit Office on 1 October 1993.  Prior to her appointment as Auditor General, Mrs. Ahlenius worked for the Ministry of Finance as Head of the Budget Department from 1987 to 1993.  During her tenure as Auditor-General of Sweden, Mrs. Ahlenius chaired the INTOSAI Auditing Standards Committee for eight years.  She was chairman of the Governing Board of the European Organization for Supreme Audit Institutions (EUROSAI) during 1993 to 1996.

Mrs. Ahlenius was a member of the Committee of Independent Experts that was called for by the European Parliament with a mandate to examine the way in which the European Commission detects and deals with fraud, mismanagement and nepotism.  [Their report led to the resignation of the Commission.]  During Mrs. Ahlenius’ career in the Ministry of Finance, she also served as head of the Ministerial Department from 1980 to 1987, responsible for issues related to education, agriculture, environment, energy, and the judiciary.  Her work in the Ministry of Finance started 1975 to 1980, as Head of Section in the International Department and in the Budget Department.

Mrs. Ahlenius’ public employment started 1968 in the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, where she was engaged in the programme of cooperation among the Nordic countries, and participated in the negotiations and preparations for Sweden’s free trade agreement with the European Economic Community (EEC).

Mrs. Ahlenius public career has been founded on experiences from the private financial sector.  From 1962 to 1968, Mrs. Ahlenius worked in the economic secretariat of Sweden’s largest commercial bank, Handelsbanken.  During 1963 to 1964, she was granted a leave of absence to work at the Societé Tunisienne de Banque in Tunisia where she was employed in the department for medium-term credits.  Mrs. Ahlenius’ education includes humanities and languages, and she holds a degree in business administration from the Stockholm School of Economics.

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