UN Development Programme names new officials to head 3 regional bureaus

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has named three new senior officials to head, respectively, its bureaus for Arab States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and Africa.

The Minister for Human Rights of Yemen, Amat Al Aleem Ali Alsoswa, will leave her post to direct UNDP’s Regional Bureau for Arab States. She succeeds Rima Khalaf Hunaidi of Jordan.

Rebeca Grynspan of Costa Rica will be in charge of the agency’s Regional Bureau for Latin America and the Caribbean. Ms. Grynspan, currently Director of the Sub-regional Headquarters in Mexico of the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America (ECLAC), will succeed Elena Martinez of Cuba.

The current UNDP Chief of Staff, Gilbert Houngbo of Togo, was named Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa. He will succeed Abdoulie Janneh of Gambia.

All three will assume their posts at UNDP in the first quarter of 2006.