Dr Josephine Ojiambo has been appointed as Deputy Secretary-General (Political), effective from 5 January 2015.
Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma today announced the appointment of Dr Josephine Ojiambo as Deputy Secretary-General (Political) at the Commonwealth Secretariat, overseeing the political, human rights, rule of law, and communications work of the Secretariat.
Dr Ojiambo comes to the Commonwealth Secretariat from the United Nations Population Fund where she has been serving as Chief of the Executive Board and External Relations Branch with responsibility for intergovernmental relations, and also for building strategic relations with UN agencies, civil society and the private sector. She was formerly Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations.
Dr Ojiambo brings to her new role more than 25 years of experience in international relations, diplomacy, governance and policy advocacy. She has held a wide range of leadership, management and advisory positions in the public, private, and non-governmental sectors at national and multilateral levels.
Mr Sharma said: “I am delighted to welcome Josephine Ojiambo as our new Deputy Secretary-General overseeing our political, human rights, rule of law, and communications work. She will bring to the Secretariat and the Commonwealth a strong track record in leadership, strategic and operational management, and a rights-based approach to international development, democracy-building, and conflict resolution, and an impressive versatility of high level experience and skills appropriate for the position”.
Dr Ojiambo’s appointment is effective from 5 January 2015.