Amina J. Mohammed
The current Deputy Secretary-General is Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, of Nigeria. She took office in February 2017 and is the fifth occupant of the post.
Ms. Mohammed is also Chair of the United Nations Sustainable Development Group.
Prior to her appointment to the post of Deputy Secretary-General, Ms. Mohammed served as Minister of Environment of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where she steered the country’s efforts on climate action and efforts to protect the natural environment.
Ms. Mohammed first joined the United Nations in 2012 as Special Adviser to former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon with the responsibility for post-2015 development planning. She led the process that resulted in global agreement around the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the creation of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Follow her on social media!
To keep the promise of the SDGs, we need everyone on board. Let us commit to invest in hope, invest in sustainable development, and invest in a better future for all people on a healthy planet.
United Nations Sustainable Development Group
The United Nations Sustainable Development Group serves as a high-level forum for joint policy formation and decision-making. It guides, supports, tracks and oversees the coordination of development operations in 162 countries and territories. The Group meets twice a year under the chairmanship of Deputy Secretary-General Ms. Amina J. Mohammed, who chairs it on behalf of the United Nations Secretary-General.
Role of the Deputy Secretary-General
The role of the Deputy Secretary-General is to help manage Secretariat operations and to ensure coherence of activities and programmes. The post of Deputy SecretaryGeneral was established by the General Assembly at the end of 1997 as part of the reform of the United Nations, and its purpose was to elevate the Organization’s profile and leadership in the economic and social spheres.
Appointment process
The Secretary-General appoints the Deputy Secretary-General following consultations with Member States and in accordance with Article 101 of the Charter of the United Nations. The term of office of the Deputy Secretary-General cannot exceed that of the Secretary-General.
