ESCWA Executive Secretary Mohamed Ali Alhakim took his oath of office before United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday 12 July 2017 at the UN Headquarters, New York, after he assumed his duties at the peak of ESCWA last May.
 
          Alhakim promised not to seek or accept any instructions regarding the performance of his duties as Executive Secretary from any government or other source external to the UN. He said:
 
          “I, Mohamed Ali Alhakim, solemnly declare and promise to exercise in all loyalty, discretion and conscience the functions entrusted to me as an international civil servant of the United Nations, to discharge these functions and regulate my conduct with the interests of the United Nations only in view, and not to seek or accept instructions in regard to the performance of my duties from any Government or other source external to the Organization.
 
          “I also solemnly declare and promise to respect the obligations incumbent upon me as set out in the Staff Regulations and Rules.”
 
Photo Credit: UN Photo/Manuel Elias