London: The United Nations chief has appointed eminent British diplomat Martin Griffiths as the head of the United Nations humanitarian agency. Griffiths has extensive experience in global affairs and has played the role of negotiator in many matters. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Wednesday, “Griffiths has brought to the fore the vast leadership experience in humanitarian affairs, both strategically and operationally, at headquarters and at the national level.” In addition, he has a lot of experience in the resolution of international disputes, negotiations, and mediation.
Griffiths has been the UN Special Envoy in Yemen for the past three years and on Wednesday informed the United Nations Security Council about recent efforts for peaceful resolution of the conflict that has been going on for six years. Gutarais said that Griffiths will continue to serve as the top envoy of the United Nations in Yemen.
Griffiths will succeed Mark Lokock, who served as the Under-Secretary-General of Human Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator for four years and his work was well appreciated. The top post of a humanitarian agency in the United Nations is traditionally given to a British person under unauthorized sharing of top positions among the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France. Although the demand to abolish this trend is rising and it is being said to give the responsibility of important posts of the United Nations to other countries but till now it has not been successful.
