Ban re-nominates Guterres and Steiner for top refugee and environment posts

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today re-nominated António Guterres as the United Nations refugee chief and Achim Steiner as his top representative on environmental issues.

“The Secretary-General has transmitted to the General Assembly his nominations,” spokesperson Martin Nesirky told reporters today in New York.

If approved by the agency’s board and the General Assembly, Mr. Guterres, a Portuguese national, will serve another five-year term as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Appointed in June 2005, Mr. Guterres is the tenth commissioner to serve in that post.

Mr. Steiner of Germany has been tapped to serve another four-year term as the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). He was unanimously elected for that post in 2006. Mr. Steiner has been the fifth UNEP Executive Director since the organization was established in the early 1970s.

Both appointments would become effective on 15 June.