UN official appoints S. Tripathi of India as Assistant Secretary-General of UN environment body

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on August 28 announced the appointment of Satya S. Tripathi of India as Assistant Secretary-General and Head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP, leading agency at the world body focussed on environment).

S Tripathi will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago. He was previously serving as the Director and Executive Head of the UN Office for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries.

He also participated as Chair of the Committees on Laws and Treaties for the United Nations-mediated Cyprus unification talks in 2004.

Since 2017 he served as Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP.  A lawyer and development economist with more than 35 years of experience, S. Tripathi has worked for the UN since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on strategic assignments in sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs.

He holds honours, bachelor’s and master’s degrees in commerce; and bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law from Berhampur University, India.