On November 21, 2018, United Nations Environment Programme Executive Director Erik Solheim announced that he would step down effective November 22, 2018, after receiving the final report from the UN Office of Internal Oversight Services on official travel.
Solheim said he had informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres of the decision and understood that an Officer in Charge would be appointed shortly to run the organisation in the interim. He framed the move as being in the best interest of UN Environment and the wider UN system.
In a statement, Solheim said he hoped colleagues would be proud of what had been achieved under his leadership. He also pointed back to 2017, when he said he responded to Guterres’ call for a dramatic change in culture and a new direction for the UN.
“I wanted UN Environment to be a lead agency for reform, even if it raised some questions. Doing things differently is never easy and I will depart knowing I never spared a moment in my effort to implement this vision and leave UN Environment more capable and more impactful,” he added.
He said he remained grateful to the staff who worked to bring the Nairobi-based agency closer to member states and to keep it engaged on urgent environmental issues. Solheim added that he was sorry the journey had ended, but hoped the same vision would continue.
The resignation came after criticism that, in just 22 months, he had allegedly spent millions of shillings on unnecessary travel expenses, according to a draft audit report on official travel. Solheim maintained that, whatever the circumstances, he remained a committed friend of UN Environment.
AFP
