UN Secretary-General appoints new members to CERF’s Advisory Group

New York, 20 October 2021 - United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed two new members to the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) Advisory Group.

The new members are Maria Jose del Aguila Castillo, the Director of Human Rights of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, and Shaheen Ali Al-Kaabi, the Ambassador and Director of the Department of International Cooperation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Qatar.

These new appointments bring to 10 the number of women serving in the 19-member CERF Advisory Group. Seven members are from Europe, four from Africa, three from Asia, two from the Gulf, one from Oceania, one from North America, and one from the Latin American and Caribbean region.

Established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2005, the Advisory Group provides policy guidance and advice on the use and impact of CERF funds to the Secretary-General through Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths who manages CERF on behalf of the Secretary General.

Since 2006, CERF has enabled humanitarian actors to provide rapid and timely humanitarian assistance to tens of millions of people.

By providing strategic guidance to CERF, the Advisory Group ensures that assistance reaches those most in need.

CERF Advisory Group members serve a single three-year term.

For further information, please contact:

In New York, Zoe Paxton, zoe.paxton@un.org, + 1 917 297 1542

In Geneva, Jens Laerke, laerke@un.org, +41 79 472 9750