Monica Juma Appointed Executive Director UNODC & Director-General UNOV

Monica Juma Appointed Executive Director UNODC & Director-General UNOV

Kenya’s National Security Advisor Monica Juma has been appointed Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and Director-General of the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) marking a significant milestone for Kenya’s representation in the upper ranks of the United Nations.

The appointment was announced on Friday, March 6 by António Guterres, who selected Juma to lead the two Vienna-based institutions that coordinate international efforts against drug trafficking, transnational crime and corruption.

According to the UN, Juma will succeed Ghada Fathi Waly, who has served in the dual role since 2020 and is completing a six-year tenure overseeing the global agency’s work on justice, crime prevention and drug control.

In a statement announcing the appointment, the United Nations highlighted Juma’s extensive experience in diplomacy, governance and security policy.

“United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres announced today the appointment of Monica Kathina Juma of Kenya as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) as well as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV),” the UN said.

The two positions are traditionally held by the same individual and carry the rank of Under-Secretary-General, making them among the most senior leadership roles within the United Nations system.

Under UN practice, appointments at this level are made directly by the Secretary-General and typically run for an initial period of up to five years, with the possibility of renewal depending on performance and institutional needs.

An Under-Secretary-General is among the highest-ranking officials in the UN hierarchy, ranking below only the Secretary-General and the Deputy Secretary-General. The position places its holder among a select group of global leaders responsible for shaping international policy and coordinating major programmes across UN agencies.

The UN noted that Juma brings decades of public service experience spanning national security, international diplomacy and government administration.

“Juma is a strategic senior leader with a depth of expertise, experience and knowledge spanning public policy making, execution and academia across critical areas of security, diplomacy and governance,” the statement added.

Juma currently serves as National Security Advisor to William Ruto and Secretary to Kenya’s National Security Council, where she has been involved in advising the presidency on matters of national and regional security.

Over the past decade, she has held several senior cabinet and diplomatic roles within the Kenyan government.

Her most recent ministerial position was Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Energy, which she held between 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, she served as Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Defence from 2020 to 2021 and as head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2018 to 2020.

In 2022, she also briefly served as Acting Cabinet Secretary for the former Ministry of Petroleum and Mining during a transitional period in government.

Earlier in her career, Juma served as Principal Secretary in several ministries, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs between 2016 and 2018, the Department of Interior under the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government from 2014 to 2016, and the Ministry of Defence from 2013 to 2014.

Before joining the national executive, Juma represented Kenya on the diplomatic stage as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Ethiopia and Djibouti, while also serving as Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa between 2010 and 2013.

Academically, Juma holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Oxford, as well as both a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Arts in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi.

Her appointment is expected to place Kenya at the centre of key global discussions on crime prevention, justice systems and international cooperation against transnational criminal networks as she assumes leadership of the Vienna-based UN offices.

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Monica Juma Appointed Executive Director UNODC & Director-General UNOV