By Maryam Nasir
KUALA LUMPUR, 21 January 2022: Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif (pic) of Malaysia has been re-elected by the United Nations General Assembly as the executive director of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) for a two-year term.
Xinhua news agency reported that her new term started on Thursday (20 January) and ends on 19 January 2024. Her initial four-year term ended on Wednesday (19 January).
The General Assembly on Thursday acted on the recommendation of UN Secretary-General António Guterres. Maimunah’s re-election was approved without a vote.
Before becoming head of UN-Habitat, Maimunah was Mayor of Penang. She has over 30 years experience in urban planning, urban regeneration and community-led development.
Since joining the United Nations in January 2018, Maimunah has repositioned UN-Habitat as a thought leader in sustainable urbanisation.
She is co-chair of the Secretary-General’s Task Force on the Future of Cities and co-chair of the Local 2030 Coalition.
She is an advocate for local voluntary reviews and champions the urban perspective in the World Economic Forum, never forgetting her humble beginnings in the rubber plantations of Malaysia, according to the press office of the UN Secretary-General.
Maimunah, 60, holds a Bachelor’s degree in town planning studies from the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology and a Master’s degree in planning studies from Universiti Sains Malaysia.
She is married and has two daughters. ***
Source: BERNAMA