ADDIS ABABA, March 5 (Xinhua) -- The African Union (AU) on Friday disclosed it has endorsed Arkebe Oqubay of Ethiopia, as the sole African candidate for the post of Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
In a press statement, the AU said the decision to endorse Oqubay as the sole candidate for UNIDO DG position was reached during the 38th ordinary session of the Executive Council of the AU held from February 3-4, 2021.
"The 38th Ordinary Session of the Executive Council of the African Union held on 3 and 4 February 2021 unanimously endorsed the candidature of Arkebe Oqubay of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, as the sole African candidate for the post of Director-General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO)," said the AU statement.
"Oqubay has spent more than thirty years at the forefront of implementing inclusive and sustainable industrial development policies and as a champion of transformational economic development in Africa," the statement further said.
African leaders had during the February 2021 AU meeting emphasized the importance of UNIDO being led a competent DG, and voiced their confidence in the high caliber as well as formidable leadership of Oqubay's candidature, to ensure equitable and sustainable global industrialization.
The current outgoing Director General of UNIDO is Li Yong of China.
United Nations Industrial Development Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that assists countries in economic and industrial development. Enditem