Themba Kalua appointed as UN Coordinator for Samoa

United Nations (UN) secretary general Antonio Guterres has appointed a Malawian, Themba Kalua, to be the organisation’s resident coordinator for Samoa.

According to a statement published on the United Nations Sustainable Development Group website, Kalua took up his position on August 5 2023.

Reads the statement: “Based in Apia, Samoa, Mr Kalua will head the Samoa multi-country office and also coordinate the UN development operations in Cook Islands, Niue and Tokelau.”

Prior to his appointment, Kalua served as the UN Women country representative in Papua New Guinea where according to the statement, he led efforts to address high levels of gender-based violence and promoted women’s participation and economic empowerment, among others.

The statement states that Kalua also chaired an inter-agency core design team that led to the drafting of the United Nations Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Papua New Guinea.

Kalua has more than 20 years of experience in sustainable development, development coordination, strategic planning, environment and climate change, gender equality and women’s empowerment and humanitarian action.

SourceNPL