(Image source from: The Hindu)

Satya S. Tripathi, Development and environment expert, has been appointed an assistant Secretary-General and will head the United Nations Environment Programme's New York office.

The appointment made on Monday by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres was proclaimed by his Spokesperson Stephane Guterres.

Tripathi is at present the third Indian at the senior levels of the UN hierarchy.

Tripathi served the UN for a period of 20 years in "Europe, Asia, and Africa on strategic assignments in sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs," Dujarric said.

Since 2017, Tripathi has been the Senior Adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the UNEP.

A development economist and an attorney with over 35 years of experience, one of his key roles at the UN was as the UN Recovery Coordinator for the $7 billion post-tsunami and post-conflict betterment attempts in Nias and Aceh in Indonesia.

He likewise chaired the Committees on Laws and Treaties for the UN-mediated Cyprus unification talks in 2004.

Tripathi has commerce and law bachelors degrees and a masters in law from Behrampur University in Odisha.

The Under-Secretary-General who heads the Department of Operational Services, Atul Khare, is the senior-most Indian at the UN.

According to earlier this year's Voluntary Public Disclosure listing of senior staff's assets, Nikhil Seth, the Executive Director of UN Institute for Training and Research, is at the level of an assistant Secretary-General.

Tripathi's duties at the New York office of UNEP, will comprise encouraging coordination, development, and carrying out of system-wide strategies on environment for the UN and "Catalyzing transformative change" throughout the UN "to integrate the environmental dimension of peace, security and sustainable development," according to the description of the post.

By Sowmya Sangam