ジョゼット・シーラン氏、WFP 新事務局長に就任 (和文要約、本文は英文）
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５日、ジョゼット・シーランがWFP 国連世界食糧計画の新事務局長に就任した。
シーランは米国政府、マスコミ、ビジネス界などにおいて20年以上さまざまな実績を積んできた。テクノロジー企業の代表取締役、ワシントンのシンクタンクの代表兼最高経営責任者、米国主要紙の編集長を務めた後、米通商代表部副代表としてアジアやアフリカの貿易交渉などに関わった。その後、アメリカ国務省において、国務次官（経済･エネルギー･農事担当）を務めた。また、世界銀行や地域開発銀行においてアメリカ代表代理を務め、開発、貿易、農業、財政、エネルギー、通信や運輸などの分野における経済問題を担当。特に、開発途上国の能力開発に力を入れ、経済発展による自立を支援した。去年には、コフィ・アナン前国連事務総長の任命を受け、開発・人道支援・環境分野の国連システムの一貫性に関するハイレベル委員会のメンバーに就任。9ヶ月間にわたって世界中を視察してまわり、援助対象の人々、現地国連事務所、援助活動の資金を提供している企業、NGOなどとの協議を重ねた。
シーランはローマ本部で行なわれた就任演説の中で、四つの誓いを立てた。一つ目は、世界で飢餓に苦しむ8億5千万人以上の人々のことを常に考え、彼らに食糧のみならず将来への希望を提供すること。二つ目は、WFPが誇る人道支援物資の物流供給網を強化すること。三つ目は、援助食糧の購入と配給を通じて、発展途上国の開発を最大限推し進めること。最後に、WFP職員の職務に対する努力を真摯に受け止めることである。
シーランは、就任後まずはWFPにとっての重要課題を自らの目で確かめるという趣旨のもとアフリカを訪問し、エチオピア・スーダン・チャドを視察する予定。アフリカへは、就任後3ヶ月以内にもう一度視察が予定されている。
また、近々、ブリンディジ(イタリア)での緊急援助物資備蓄庫の視察やジュネーブ(スイス)での国連合同エイズ計画（UNAIDS）会議への出席も予定されている。同会議では共同議長を務める。また国連の潘基文（バン・キムン）事務総長が議長を務める国連事務局長会議にも出席する予定となっている。
□ジョゼット・シーラン略歴はこちら(和文）
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JOSETTE SHEERAN TAKES OFFICE AS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WFP
ROME - Meeting today with staff at the Rome headquarters of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the new Executive Director Josette Sheeran called for a renewed commitment to the world’s hungry poor. “Despite enormous efforts by WFP and its donors and partners, we are losing ground on hunger with 4 million more people malnourished each year than the year before. Together, we can turn that tide.” Every year WFP feeds an average of 90 million people, maintaining a logistics operation that encompasses an international team of nearly 12,000 in more than 80 countries.
Sheeran was selected for the post in November by former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and FAO Director General Jacques Diouf, with the unanimous concurrence of WFP’s 36-member executive board. She succeeds James Morris, whose five-year term at the helm of the organisation came to an end on 4 April. Morris is returning to his native Indiana in the United States.
Welcoming Sheeran, President of the WFP Executive Board James Molanson noted: “We face enormous humanitarian challenges in emergencies like the crisis in Darfur. At the same time, we must address widespread chronic hunger, especially in Africa where one in three people are malnourished. All of us serving on WFP’s Executive Board look forward to working with Josette Sheeran to make real progress and further build the effectiveness of food aid as a tool to reach the most needy.”
Sheeran brings to WFP a broad background in the public and private sectors, with more than 20 years management and leadership experience in diplomacy, government, foundations, international journalism and business. Most recently she served as Under Secretary for Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs at the US State Department and as alternate U.S. delegate to the World Bank and regional development banks, working on economic issues including development, trade, agriculture, finance, energy, telecommunications and transportation. She especially focussed on helping developing nations become more self-sufficient through economic empowerment, and initiated innovative capacity-building and development programs. Last year she was asked by former UN Secretary-General Annan to serve on a High Level Panel looking at reforms in the areas of humanitarian assistance, development and the environment. She spent nine months travelling the world conducting hundreds of interviews with UN aid recipients, country teams, private sector donors and NGOS.
Prior to her appointment as Under Secretary, Sheeran served as Deputy Trade Representative in the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), where she was responsible for trade negotiations and treaties in Asia and Africa. She has also served as the Managing Director of a leading Wall Street technology firm, President and CEO of a Washington DC think tank, and Managing Editor of a major US newspaper.
“I feel very fortunate to join WFP, which I learned during my time on the UN’s High Level Panel is a gem in the UN system. WFP has earned the trust of the world’s most vulnerable and the respect of more than 90 donor nations. All its supporters, public and private, know that over 93 percent of their donations are used directly to reach the hungry, giving WFP one of the lowest overheads of any aid provider,” says Sheeran.
“I come into this position with four commitments. First: to the more than 850 million men, women and children who know what it is like go to bed hungry, I promise you that you will never be forgotten and I will do everything I can not just to bring you food, but hope for a better future,” says Sheeran. “My second commitment is to all the generous nations, businesses, organisations and individuals who support WFP’s life-saving work. I will sustain and augment the logistics lifeline that has become a legacy gift to the world while always seeking to improve effectiveness and efficiency. Third, I will work with my UN colleagues, NGOs and many others to leverage and maximise the positive development impact of WFP’s food aid purchases and distributions. Finally, I offer a promise to the hard-working men and women of WFP. Your efforts will never be taken for granted and your sacrifices will always make a difference.”
Sheeran will spend her first month in office focusing on the organisation’s most important operations and areas of work, spending half her time at headquarters in Rome and half her time in the field. Her first mission will be to Africa, which she will visit at least twice in her first 90 days.
Prior to going to Africa, on 18 April she will visit the WFP-managed emergency hub in Brindisi, Italy, part of the network of five Humanitarian Response Depots planned around the world. These depots enable WFP and other agencies to mobilise more rapidly to address natural disasters and crises by pre-positioning food and other critical supplies, such as tents and medicine.
Then she will head to Geneva to co-chair a major UNAIDS meeting, reflecting WFP’s role as a co-sponsor of the joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS and affirming the importance of adequate food and nutrition in the fight against the disease. Also in Geneva she will attend the Chief Executives Board chaired by Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.
Sheeran’s first trip to the field will focus on the burgeoning humanitarian crisis in the Horn of Africa region. She will first visit Ethiopia and will explore how WFP, the largest purchaser of surplus grain in that country, can better connect poor farmers to markets through its purchases. She will meet with the leadership of Ethiopia and the African Union on an array of issues. In Sudan, she will meet with leaders and WFP beneficiaries in Khartoum, Darfur and Southern Sudan. She will then travel to Chad to explore humanitarian issues with the leadership there.