UN Sec-Gen appoints new UNICEF director, commander for UNOCI

UN Secretary-General, Ban Ki-moon, on Monday, announced the appointment of Ms Fatoumata Ndiaye of Senegal as Deputy Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF).

The announcement is contained in a statement in New York.

Ndiaye is currently serving as UNICEF’s Director of the Office of Internal Audit and Investigations (OIAI).

According to the statement, Ndiaye served as Director, Internal Audit Division, Office of Internal Oversight Services at the UN Secretariat prior to that role.

It added that the new UNICEF boss would bring strong management experience and leadership skills that would support the management initiatives that were underway to deliver results for children.

She holds a Masters in Business Administration degree from l’École Supérieure de Gestion des Entreprises, Senegal and a Postgraduate degree with specialisation in Auditing from l’ Université Paris-Dauphine, France.

In a related development, Ban also announced the appointment of Maj.-Gen. Didier L’Hôte of France as Force Commander for the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI).

According to the statement, Gen. L’Hôte will replace Maj.-Gen. Hafiz Ahmed of Pakistan, who will complete his tour of duty on June 30.

In the statement, Ban thanked Gen. Ahmed for his dedicated and exemplary service during his tenure with UNOCI.

According to the statement, Gen. L’Hôte brings to the position 35 years of national and international military experience.

It added that before his appointment, he served as Deputy Force Commander in the UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI).

Prior to his tour of duty in Côte d’Ivoire, he was Deputy Commander of the Land Task Force in France from 2012 to 2014 and was deployed as French Contingent Commander in Afghanistan from 2011 to 2012.

Besides those command positions, it added that Gen. L’Hôte also served in senior staff positions, including Chief of Staff of the Land Task Force from 2007 to 2010 and French Senior Officer, among others.

It added that Gen. L’Hôte has Master’s degrees in Management and Defense Studies and in International Relations from the Defence Academy of the United Kingdom and the French War College “Ecole supérieure de guerre de Paris respectively.

He is also a graduate of the French Senior Staff Course “Cours supérieur d’état-major”.

Born in 1960, Gen. L’Hôte is married and has three children.