UN Sec-General appoints Hanna Tetteh Special Envoy for Horn of Africa

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on Tuesday, 22 February 2022 announced the appointment of Ghana’s former Foreign Affairs Minister, Hanna Serwaa Tetteh, as his Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa.

She succeeds Parfait Onanga-Anyanga of Gabon, to whom the Secretary-General reiterated his deep gratitude and appreciation for his dedicated service.

Ms. Tetteh brings to the position decades of experience at the national, regional and international levels, including well-honed skills in building consensus among stakeholders, which will allow her to strengthen the partnership between the United Nations and countries in the Horn of Africa, as well as with the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), in the area of peace and security.

Since 2019, she served as the Special Representative of the Secretary-General to the African Union and Head of the United Nations Office to the African Union (UNOAU).  Before that, she was the Director General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi.

She also served in the Cabinet of the Government of Ghana as Minister for Foreign Affairs, during which time she was also a member of the National Security Council and the Armed Forces Council (2013-2017).

Ms. Tetteh was Minister for Trade and Industry between 2009 and 2013. From 2014 to 2015, she was the Chairperson of the Council of Ministers, as well as Chairperson of the Mediation and Security Council of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

During her term as Minister for Trade and Industry, she was a member of the Government’s economic management team, the board of the Millennium Development Authority and the National Development Planning Commission, as well as Chairperson of the Ghana Free Zones Board.

In 2009, she served as Spokesperson for the transition team of President John Evans Atta Mills’ Administration.

A Member of Parliament in 2000-2005 and 2013-2017, she was appointed Co-Facilitator of the High-Level Forum for the Revitalisation of the Agreement for the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan (2017-2018).

Ms. Tetteh holds a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree from the University of Ghana, Legon.  She was called to the Ghana Bar in 1992.

In addition to English, she is fluent in Hungarian and Fante.