UN names new UNDP administrator and UNISFA force commander; spokesperson clarifies Haiti appointment is not a UN post
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Summary
The UN spokesperson announced Alexandre De Croo as UNDP administrator and Lt. Gen. Ganesh Kumar Shrestha as UNISFA force commander, and clarified that a newly named special representative for Haiti is not a UN post but will involve UN logistical collaboration.
The United Nations spokesperson announced senior personnel changes and clarified the status of a recent appointment. The spokesperson said Alexandre De Croo "started as the administrator of the UN Development Program" and will spend his first days in New York meeting member states and partners before traveling to Doha and Kenya; the spokesperson said De Croo will focus on "broadening and diversifying UNDP's funding base" and on innovation and delivery.
On Haiti, the spokesperson confirmed an announcement that Jack Cristo Fides had been selected as a special representative for the gang suppression force in Haiti and emphasized that "this new post... is not a UN post," while adding that the UN will work with the special representative and provide collaboration through the UN support office for Haiti established by the Security Council resolution referenced in the briefing.
The spokesperson also announced the appointment of Lieutenant General Ganesh Kumar Shrestha of Nepal as the new force commander for the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA), noting he succeeds Maj. Gen. Robert Yo Afram of Ghana and brings 36 years of military service including prior UN peacekeeping sector command experience.
Why it matters: senior leadership affects UN programming priorities and operational continuity; the UN highlighted continuity of support to partners in Haiti while clarifying the appointment's non‑UN status and signaled intent to maintain logistical collaboration.