Former Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) commissioner Dr Roselyn Akombe has been appointed as the new Chief of Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships at the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs (DPPA.
DPPA monitors and assesses global political developments with an eye to detecting potential crises and devising effective responses. The Department provides support to the Secretary-General and his envoys in their peace initiatives, as well as to UN political missions around the world.
"provides staff support to the UN Security Council, advises the UN Special Committee on Decolonization on the 17 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories on the UN list through DPPA’s Decolonization Unit and services the Secretariat of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People through its Palestinian Rights Division. The Department also contributes directly to UN efforts to promote peace and prevent conflict by coordinating UN electoral assistance activities through its Electoral Assistance Division," the body says on its website.
Dr Akombe announced the news of her appointment on Thursday, January 5, 2023, on Twitter.
"Grateful for the appointment to serve as Chief of Peacebuilding Strategy and Partnerships at UNDPPA Love this beautiful view of New York City from my office, despite the cloudy & cold weather. Always grateful to God for his blessings," she wrote.
Akombe's previous jobs
Before the appointment, Akombe served as the Regional Governance and Peacebuilding Coordinator at the UNDP Regional Service Center for Africa in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Dr Akombe previously worked for the United Nations Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs where she served as the Deputy Director in the Policy and Mediation Division.
She also served as a Commissioner with IEBC and as an Economist with the African Union. Dr Akombe also served as a Senior Electoral Officer at the United Nations Election Observation Mission in Burundi.
She holds a Master’s and PhD degrees in Global Affairs (Political Economy) from Rutgers University, United States, and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Nairobi.
