General Assembly Decision Confirms Mukhisa Kituyi as Secretary-General of United Nations Conference on Trade and Development for Another Term

Following the recommendation of the Secretary-General, after consultation with Member States, the General Assembly confirmed Mukhisa Kituyi of Kenya as Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for a further four years, beginning on 1 September 2017 and ending on 31 August 2021.  Mr. Kituyi served an initial four-year term as UNCTAD’s seventh Secretary-General.

Mr. Kituyi has an extensive background as an elected official and academic, coupled with wide-ranging experience in trade negotiations, and in African and broader international economics and diplomacy.  Before joining UNCTAD, he was Chief Executive of the Kenya Institute of Governance and Fellow of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., on their African Growth Initiative.

From 2008 to 2012, Mr. Kituyi was a member of a team of experts advising the East African Community Presidents on the challenges, opportunities and possible road maps to deeper regional integration.  Concurrently, he was a consultant with the Africa Union Commission, where he helped to develop the architecture and road map for a Pan-African Free Trade Area.

An elected Member of Parliament for 15 years, Mr. Kituyi served as Minister for Trade and Industry from 2002 to 2007.

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*     This supersedes Press Release SG/A/1414-BIO/4479-TAD/2059 of 11 June 2013.