United Nations Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, has appointed a Tanzanian as Deputy Executive Director for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), a statement said on Tuesday.

According to the statement issued by the UN Information Centre in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, Joyce Msuya replaces Ibrahim Thiaw, a Mauritanian national.

“Prior to her appointment, Msuya served as the advisor to the World Bank Vice-President for East Asia and Pacific region, based in Washington, D.C.,’’ the statement said.

Msuya also served as regional coordinator at the World Bank Institute covering East Asia and Pacific region, based in China.

She holds a Master’s degree in microbiology and immunology from the University of Ottawa in Canada and a Bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and immunology from the University of Strathclyde in Scotland.