4 September – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomes the announcement by the Sustainable Energy for All Executive Committee of the selection of Ms. Rachel Kyte of the United Kingdom as the first Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the international not-for-profit organization “Sustainable Energy for All Partnership” (SE4All Partnership) to be hosted by the Government of Austria.
The Secretary-General announced the appointment of Ms. Kyte as his Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All. Ms. Kyte succeeds Kandeh Yumkella of Sierra Leone, to whom the SecretaryGeneral expresses his utmost gratitude for his dedication and commitment to the United Nations. Ms. Kyte brings with her extensive leadership experience in the sustainable development arena. She is currently the World Bank Group Vice President and Special Envoy for Climate Change. Ms. Kyte previously served as World Bank Vice President for Sustainable Development and was the International Finance Corporation (IFC) Vice President for Business Advisory Services and a member of IFC’s management team. The announcement marks a new chapter in the Sustainable Energy for All initiative. The United Nations will work closely with the SE4All Partnership to grow this global movement. The Sustainable Energy for All’s Advisory Board, co-chaired by the Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank, will continue to provide overall advice. In addition, the SE4All Partnership will enter into a Relationship Agreement with the United Nations, ensuring close institutional synergies with the SE4All Partnership. The appointment of the CEO of the SE4All Partnership as the Special Representative for Sustainable Energy for All will further strengthen these linkages. These new institutional arrangements will ensure that the United Nations remains closely involved with the SE4All initiative, whilst affording it the institutional room to thrive as a multi-stakeholder partnership.