UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday announced the appointment of Satya S. Tripathi of India as assistant secretary-general and head of the New York Office of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

He will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago to whom the secretary-general "is grateful for his leadership and dedicated service during his tenure."

Tripathi has since 2017 served as senior adviser on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at UNEP. A development economist and lawyer with over 35 years of experience, Tripathi has worked for the United Nations since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on strategic assignments in sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs.