Kenya’s Monica Juma has been sworn in by António Guterres as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, placing her at the helm of one of the United Nations’ most strategically important institutions.
Speaking after taking the oath in New York, Juma said the appointment was a reminder that international civil service is ultimately “a commitment to people.”
“As I solemnly declared my dedication to carry out these functions with integrity, impartiality, and the utmost regard for the purposes and principles of the United Nations, I reflected on the responsibility that comes with this trust,” she said in an X post.
Juma added that she was assuming the role with humility, gratitude and a profound sense of duty, and looked forward to working with partners across the UN system to advance peace, security, justice and the rule of law.
Her appointment places a Kenyan diplomat at the centre of global efforts to combat transnational organised crime and drug trafficking.
The Vienna-based position is among the most influential in the UN system.
In addition to leading the organisation’s anti-crime and counter-narcotics agenda, the office serves as a key platform for international security diplomacy, multilateral negotiations and discussions on nuclear governance hosted in the Austrian capital.
Before joining the United Nations, Juma served as Kenya’s National Security Advisor under President William Ruto.
She previously held senior cabinet portfolios including Foreign Affairs, Defence, Energy and Petroleum.
A career diplomat, she also served as Kenya’s ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti, while concurrently representing Nairobi at the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa between 2010 and 2013.
The appointment marks one of the highest-profile leadership roles held by a Kenyan within the United Nations and further elevates Kenya’s diplomatic footprint on the global stage.
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