* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation.
LONDON (AlertNet) - Britain's envoy to Australia Valerie Amos, who is due to take over as the United Nations' new aid chief, is different from the man she will replace in more ways than one. Amos, 56, was born in Guyana and has served as Britain's secretar
LONDON (AlertNet) - Britain's envoy to Australia Valerie Amos, who is due to take over as the United Nations' new aid chief, is different from the man she will replace in more ways than one.
Amos, 56, was born in Guyana and has served as Britain's secretary of state for international development and as Africa minister. In 2005 she was also on the shortlist of six candidates in the running to head the U.N. Development Programme.
Britain's first black cabinet minister, Amos was involved in discussions and negotiations to tackle conflicts in Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Zimbabwe, Sierra Leone and Liberia.
In contrast, John Holmes, the outgoing head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), had a lot less humanitarian experience when he took up the job.
Holmes will step down at the end of August, OCHA spokeswoman Stephanie Bunker said, adding that Amos's start date was not yet clear.
"She (Amos) is experienced and prepared for the challenge," said Sara Pantuliano, a humanitarian researcher at Britain's Overseas Development Institute. "It's an intelligent appointment."
In her new position, Amos should focus on protecting the independence of humanitarian workers in countries of strategic importance to the West, such as Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pantuliano said.
For example, foreign troops distribute much of the aid in Afghanistan, blurring the line between military and relief workers and compounding suspicion among Afghans that assistance is partisan rather than impartial.
Another big challenge Amos faces, Pantuliano said, is showing the ability to take on large humanitarian operations, such as the one in earthquake-devastated Haiti this year. "That's a big test case that we haven't really passed yet."
Amos, a passionate speaker, will also have the opportunity to push on with reform of humanitarian aid worldwide, Pantuliano added.
What do you think? Have you worked with Amos or her teams? What should be her main goals as the new U.N. emergency relief coordinator? Will Amos's leadership be different from that of her predecessor, and do you think she will succeed in the position?
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
