Amina Mohammad, Former Top Advisor on UN Global Goals, to Chair Leading WASH Organisation

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GENEVA, January 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, the Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC) announced that Amina J. Mohammed, Environment Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, will serve as its new Chair, effective as of April 5, 2016.

The former Assistant-Secretary General and Special Advisor to the Secretary General on Post-2015 Development Planning, Ms. Mohammed will chair the Steering Committee and guide the work of WSSCC's Geneva-based Secretariat, its operations in 20 countries in Africa and Asia, and its 5,000 members in 150 countries.  Hosted by the United Nations Office of Project Services, WSSCC is the only part of the United Nations devoted solely to the sanitation and hygiene needs of the most vulnerable people around the world. Ms. Mohammed replaces the interim-Chair, Andrew Cotton, Emeritus Director of the Water, Engineering and Development Centre, and previous Chair, Prof. Anna Tibaijuka, Member of Parliament, Tanzania, and former Under-Secretary General and Executive Director of UN-Habitat.

"WSSCC embodies the transformative spirit of the Sustainable Development Goals, promoting WASH at the national level as a strategic entry point for attaining multiple targets," says Ms. Mohammed. "By improving sanitation and hygiene at scale, the Council is addressing education and health, and empowering women. I am proud to Chair an organization that understands that equality and universality must go hand-in-hand towards achieving a sustainable development agenda."

As the Secretary-General's Special Advisor on Post-2015 Development Planning, Ms. Mohammed ensured the successful adoption by Member States of the Sustainable Development Goals in September 2015. She is an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University and previously held the position of Senior Special Assistant to the President of Nigeria on the Millennium Development Goals, serving three Presidents over a period of six years.

Christopher W. Williams, Executive Director of WSSCC, welcomed Ms. Mohammed, saying, "The issues of sanitation and hygiene are crucial to improving health and development. In the post-2015 era, we need strong global leadership to deepen our efforts, and bold ambition to advance a transformative agenda."  

In her role as Chair of WSSCC, Ms. Mohammed plans to draw upon her experience and network of contacts to raise awareness about practical solutions to improving sanitation and hygiene.

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SOURCE Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council (WSSCC)