17 March,2010 12:29 PM IST | | Agencies
United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of US foreign policy expert Antony Lake, who was an adviser to President Barack Obama, as the new head of UNICEF.
Lake will take over as the new UNICEF executive director in May after incumbent Ann Veneman, a former US Secretary of Agriculture, retires from the post in April.
"He (Lake) brings with him a wealth of experience after a long and distinguished career with the United States Government. He will assume his responsibilities in the first week of May," Ban told journalists here.
"I thank Ann Veneman for her immense dedication, energy and determination to improve the lives of children around the world.
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She leaves behind an organization well-equipped for the enormous challenges ahead," he added. Lake, 70, served as National Security Adviser in the Clinton administration, spent nine years on the board of the US Fund for UNICEF and most recently taught at Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service.
Lake will take over the reigns of UNICEF at a time when it is swamped with the situation in Haiti where thousands of children have lost their parents in the devastating earthquake that struck Port-au-Prince on January 12.
