Secretary-General Welcomes Election of New African Union Commission Chair

 

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the election of Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma of South Africa as Chairperson of the African Union Commission.  He commends the African leaders for their decision and congratulates Dr. Zuma for the confidence they have placed in her as the first African woman to be elected to lead the Commission.  The Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with Dr. Zuma on peace and security issues, as well as on achieving the Millennium Development Goals and promoting sustainable development in Africa.  The Secretary-General assures her of the full support of the United Nations system.  The Secretary-General also wishes to express his appreciation to the outgoing Chairperson, Jean Ping, for his stewardship of the Commission over the past four years.  The United Nations will continue to strengthen its strategic partnership with the Africa Union to consolidate peace, security and development in Africa in the years ahead.

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For information media • not an official record