Antigua and Barbuda’s former Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Conrod C. Hunte has been elected to serve as the Chair of a crucial United Nations body based in Geneva, Switzerland.
Hunte was elected to lead the United Nations’ Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), which is the only independent external oversight body of the United Nations system mandated to conduct system-wide evaluations and inspections.
As its chair, Hunte will ensure the JIU continues its work in ensuring the optimum use of available resources by the United Nations system, and to enhance the efficiency of its administrative and financial functioning.
The Unit also seeks to identify best practices, propose benchmarks, and facilitate information-sharing across the system.
Inspector Hunte was elected at the Winter Session meeting of the JIU on 3 December along with Iraq’s Inspector Mohanad Al-Musawi (Iraq) who was elected Vice-Chair.
His election comes at a seminal moment for the JIU as it concludes with the 60th anniversary of the JIU.
Hunte brings to the JIU nearly four decades of experience in multilateral organizations.
Besides his tenure at the Antigua and Barbuda Mission, he also served as Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency.
He has chaired both the Group of 77 and China in the UN Fifth Committee and the Alliance of Small Island States at the Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC.
He has also served as Vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions.
Since joining the JIU in 2023, Inspector Hunte has contributed to focused reviews on the management and administration of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the United Nations Environment Programme.
He also authored a report on the governance and oversight of Executive Boards of UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS, UNICEF and UN-Women, and coauthored a report on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse across the UN system.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Walton Webson has congratulated Ambassador Hunte, describing his election as chair of the JIU as a proud moment for Antigua and Barbuda and the Caribbean region and a testament to Ambassador Hunte’s distinguished career in multilateral diplomacy.
“Ambassador Hunte’s election is a clear demonstration of Antigua and Barbuda’s continued contribution to strengthening accountability and good governance within the UN system,” Ambassador Webson stated.
