Canna Reporter
Kenyan Monica Juma took over as head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on Monday, May 11, at a time when the UN is facing increasing pressure and reforming its system, among other challenges.
Monica Juma, a Kenyan national with a career dedicated to multinational security and diplomacy, has been sworn in as the new Director-General of the United Nations Office in Vienna (UNOV) and as Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) last Monday, following his nomination by the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres.
Juma, who arrived in Vienna the day before, revealed that he wanted to “start working immediately,” meeting personally with employees “so that they can associate a face with a name, and so that we can begin this journey together from the very first moment,” he stated in his speech during the event. Introductory meeting with UNODC staff.
“I am incredibly proud and honored to lead these two offices in Vienna at a critical time for multilateralism,” Juma said at the same session. “I look forward to contributing my expertise in defense, security, and diplomacy to the United Nations’ efforts to address some of the most pressing challenges to peace and security today.”
The new director also stressed the urgency of the moment and admitted to being aware of the difficulties she faces. “The international system is under pressure. The United Nations is navigating financial pressures, significant reform processes, and a shifting geopolitics,” she reflected, also acknowledging that many staff members “have felt uncertainty over the past year, both regarding leadership and their jobs.”
Priorities and challenges
Juma conveyed to the employees the commitment to give them a voice and to work with the Council. Staff to ensure that employees “feel supported, respected and heard”. He also acknowledged that the process UN80 The UN system reform initiative, currently underway, is “bringing changes across the entire system, including here in Vienna,” and has promised to bring “stability and tranquility” during this transition phase.
The new Director-General has a demanding agenda ahead: next week she will travel to Japan for the meeting of the Council of Chief Executives, where she will meet with the Secretary-General and other UN officials. Following that, UNODC will need to prepare for the 35th session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, and a meeting is scheduled for the end of this year. 15th United Nations Congress on Crime in the United Arab Emirates – which will define the agenda for the prevention of organized crime for the next five years.
Despite the challenges, Juma left a positive message: “I begin this role with optimism, and I count on your support and your optimism. Throughout my career, I have learned that progress is never achieved alone. It is achieved through people like you, dedicated civil servants, united by a common purpose even in difficult times.”
A journey marked by diplomacy and dedicated to security.
The new UN official brings with her a remarkable career in the areas of national security and diplomacy. She was the first woman to serve as National Security Advisor to the President of Kenya, a role she held between 2022 and 2026, advising the head of state on matters of peace and security at the national, regional, and global levels. “Something I am deeply proud of,” she shared during her introductory speech.
In this role, she participated in defining the national strategy to combat terrorism and prevent violent extremism, and was also involved in supporting the Kenyan-led multinational security mission in Haiti – a country that, in her words, “continues to be devastated by gang violence and organized crime.”
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