UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (R) poses for a photo with Catherine Russell of the United States at her swearing-in as the new executive director of the UN Children's Fund at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 1, 2022. Catherine Russell of the United States took office on Tuesday as the new executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), becoming the fourth woman to lead the organization. (Mark Garten/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Catherine Russell of the United States took office on Tuesday as the new executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), becoming the fourth woman to lead the organization.
"It is an honor and a privilege to join UNICEF and help lead its remarkable work for children at such a crucial moment," said Russell in a press release. "At a time when millions of children globally are still reeling from the impact of the COVID pandemic and other crises, UNICEF is leading the call to protect their rights and their futures. I look forward to the work ahead."
Russell succeeds Henrietta Fore of the United States, who resigned in July 2021 to attend to a family health issue but offered to stay on until her successor is appointed.
Before her new position at the United Nations, Russell served in the U.S. government as assistant to the president and director of the White House Office of Presidential Personnel under President Joe Biden. From 2013 to 2017, she served as ambassador-at-large for global women's issues in the U.S. Department of State. Previously, she served as deputy assistant to the president at the White House under President Barack Obama.
Russell holds a Bachelor's degree from Boston College and a Juris Doctor degree from the George Washington University Law School. ■
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres (L) swears in Catherine Russell of the United States as the new executive director of the UN Children's Fund at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 1, 2022. Catherine Russell of the United States took office on Tuesday as the new executive director of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), becoming the fourth woman to lead the organization. (Mark Garten/UN Photo/Handout via Xinhua)
