Kenyan diplomat Dr. Monica Juma has officially assumed office as Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV) and Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Dr. Juma took over the role on Monday, with the rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General, becoming one of the most senior African officials within the UN system.

The United Nations Office at Vienna is one of the UN’s four major headquarters globally and hosts several international agencies dealing with global security, nuclear cooperation, crime prevention, governance, and sustainable development.

In her first public remarks after assuming office, Dr. Juma expressed gratitude and commitment to advancing the UN’s global mandate on justice and security.

“I am deeply proud and honoured to start my first day as Director-General/Executive Director of the UN Office at Vienna,” she said.

“I look forward to leading the UN’s work in addressing the challenges of drugs, organized crime, corruption and terrorism, for a safer and more just world,” she added.

Dr. Juma brings extensive experience in governance, diplomacy, security, and international affairs spanning decades in both government and academia.

She most recently served as Kenya’s first-ever National Security Adviser and Secretary to the National Security Council between 2022 and 2026.

Before that, she held several high-profile Cabinet positions in Kenya, including Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Foreign Affairs, and Energy, while also serving as Acting Cabinet Secretary for Petroleum and Mining between 2018 and 2022.

She also previously served as Principal Secretary in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, Interior, and Defence between 2013 and 2018.

On the diplomatic front, Dr. Juma served as Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti and Permanent Representative to the African Union, IGAD, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa between 2010 and 2013.

Beyond government service, she has held several academic and policy research positions, including at the African Centre for Strategic Studies at the National Defence University in Washington DC, the University of Pretoria, and the Africa Institute of South Africa.

Dr. Juma holds a PhD from the University of Oxford, where she also earned a Certificate in Refugee Studies, in addition to Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Government and Public Administration from the University of Nairobi.

Her appointment has been viewed as recognition of Kenya’s growing diplomatic influence globally and Africa’s increasing role within international governance institutions.

At UNOV and UNODC, she is expected to spearhead global efforts against transnational organised crime, corruption, terrorism financing, cybercrime, illicit trafficking, and drug-related challenges while promoting justice and international cooperation.