New York City: UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Wednesday named former South African vice president Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka as head of the UN Women agency.
Mlambo-Ngcuka, 58, takes the place of Michelle Bachelet who left the new agency this year to enter the Chilean presidential election campaign.
Mlambo-Ngcuka was South Africa`s vice president from 2005 to 2008 having been a member of parliament since 1994 after the fall of apartheid in the country.
She was also minister of minerals and energy and briefly an acting culture minister.
UN spokesman Martin Nesirky said Mlambo-Ngcuka "brings to this position, a wealth of experience in advocating for women`s issues with a combination of strategic leadership, consensus building and hands-on management experience."
Ban was "particularly appreciative of Ms Bachelet`s exemplary leadership as the first executive director of the UN Women", added Nesirky.
AFP
