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UNDP Associate Administrator joins multinational giant AREVA

New York, 1 December 2005 — The Associate Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Zéphirin Diabré of Burkina Faso has accepted a leadership position with industrial powerhouse AREVA, a world leader in nuclear power and electricity generation, Paris-based AREVA announced earlier today.

In February 2006, Mr. Diabré will take on the dual role of Chairman of AREVA’s Africa and Middle East division and Advisor for International Affairs to the President of the Group, Ms. Anne Lauvergeon. He will carry out these functions from Burkina Faso and France.

Responding to the news, UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis said, "It is with great sadness that I see my friend Zéphirin Diabré leave UNDP unexpectedly – his current contract does not expire before December 2006. Nevertheless, I am happy that he will have the opportunity to apply his extraordinary talents in the international private sector. I had very much hoped to spend the next few years working side by side with him, but I recognize how rarely opportunities of this nature come along. I would like to thank him sincerely for the valuable contribution that he has made to the work of UNDP, notably with regard to the ambitious reforms that have, during his tenure, restored UNDP’s credibility worldwide."

The Administrator continued, "I hope that Zéph can continue to help UNDP and I am grateful that he has accepted to avail himself if and when needed for his precious advice."

Following the announcement of his appointment, Diabré said, "I am excited to have the opportunity to tackle new challenges in the international private sector, after having spent many years in public service, including government and the UN system. I would like to thank the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Mr. Kofi Annan, for the extraordinary opportunity that he has given me to serve the international community and the cause of poverty reduction as well as UNDP Administrators James Gus Speth, Mark Malloch Brown, and Kemal Dervis, for their unfailing support throughout my time with UNDP. The past seven years have been, for me, a unique experience, a source of great personal and professional satisfaction, and a precious learning opportunity on matters of development. I expect this to be extremely valuable during the next stage of my career."

Zéphirin Diabré, 46, was named to the post of UNDP Associate Administrator by the United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan in January 1999.

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For more information, please contact: Cassandra Waldon, UNDP, tel. 1 212 906 6499, e-mail: Cassandra.waldon@undp.org

UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life.