Ambassador Muhith elected president of Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA, UNOPS

Ambassador Muhith gives his inaugural statement on 11 January 2024. Photo: Courtesy

Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Ambassador Muhammad Abdul Muhith, has been elected as the President of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA, and UNOPS for 2024 at the elections held at United Nations Headquarters.

The member states also elected the Ambassadors of Colombia, Germany, Romania and Ethiopia as Vice-Presidents of the Executive Board.

With this election, Bangladesh takes up the Presidency of the Executive Board of these three very important agencies of the United Nations, reads a press release. 

As the President of the Board, Bangladesh will be able to contribute further to the work of the UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, who have specific mandates to support the countries achieve the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development.

Bangladesh will also be able to work closely with the other board members and the leaderships of these three vital UN Agencies and provide them with strategic guidance.

In his inaugural statement, Ambassador Muhith thanked the members of the Executive Board for electing him as the President. He also expressed his appreciation to UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS for their remarkable contributions in empowering people around the world and advancing their development aspirations.

Photo: Courtesy

"In the context of the difficult challenges that the development agenda of the United Nations suffered due to the pandemic and ongoing humanitarian and climate crises, UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS need to prepare themselves to deliver better, based on new and reinvigorated multilateral commitments and through coordinate efforts and engagement with all stakeholders," he said.

"And the Executive Board will remain ready to provide those agencies with necessary direction and resources so that they can continue to be at the forefront of all such efforts," he added.

The election of Ambassador Muhith as the President of the Board comes as a demonstration of the trust and confidence Bangladesh enjoys in the UN as well as recognition of Bangladesh's unique success in achieving sustainable development through innovative means under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Since joining this Mission as the Permanent Representative in July 2022, Ambassador Muhith has served as the Chair of the UN Peacebuilding Commission, the president of the Executive Board of UN-Women and the Vice-President of the Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS.

The Executive Board of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS, composed of 36 members, was created by General Assembly resolution in 1993.

The Executive Board superseded the 48-member Governing Council on 1 January 1994.

The Executive Board is responsible for providing inter-governmental support to and supervision of the activities of UNDP, UNFPA and UNOPS in accordance with the overall policy guidance of the General Assembly and Economic and Social Council, and the responsibilities set out in the United Nations Charter.