United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has nominated Norway’s Erik Solheim as the new Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP).

He informed the General Assembly following consultations with the chairpersons of the regional groups of Member States.

Mr Solheim is currently the Chair of the Development Assistance Committee of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a post he has held since 2013.

From 2007 to 2012, he was Norway’s Minister for the Environment and International Development.

He will be replacing UNEP’s outgoing Executive Director Achin Steiner, who welcomed the Secretary-General’s announcement.

Mr Steiner said: “I congratulate Erik Solheim on his nomination to become the sixth Executive Director in UNEP’s 44-year history. Mr. Solheim was a strong supporter of UNEP during his tenure as Minister of Environment and International Development of Norway and continued to offer his good offices in later years.”