Fadia Kiwan for executive secretary of ESCWA

Dr. Fadia Kiwan has applied for the post of the UN Under-Secretary General and Executive Secretary of the ESCWA to replace Dr. Rima Khalaf. The candidature has taken a legal process when foreign minister Jibran Bassil assigned Lebanon’s UN representative Nawaf Salam to carry out the necessary contacts in support of Kiwan’s nomination. On the subject, An Nahar daily reported today that the United Nations has approved Dr. Kiwan’s request, pointing out to a lengthy Skype interview with the nominee carried out by four staff of the New York-based Office of the UN Secretary General. According to the newspaper, the atmosphere was positive and Kiwan has been shortlisted for the position. The newspaper however revealed that another Arab, A Kuwaiti national, has also applied to the post, and is strongly supported by her government. This prompts stepped up diplomatic contacts to prop Kiwan’s nomination as the first Lebanese woman after 40 years of Lebanon’s hosting of the ESCWA’s headquarters, An Nahar wrote. Kiwan has an outstanding capacity and expertise and exceptional academic accomplishments in the social, cultural and humanitarian disciplines. She has won the backing of the International Organization of la Francophonie and the Arab Women’s Council, the newspaper noted, adding that the Lebanese Council of Women has sent separate letters to Bassil praising his stance and to the new UN Secretary-General Guterres, asking his support. (An Nahar, April 5, 2017)