 |
 |
 The Temple of Magazines... |
|
|
Under Secretary General of the United Nations Executive Secretary of ESCWA
On 22 November 2000, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan appointed Mervat Tallaway of Egypt as Executive
Secretary of the United Nations economic and social commission for
Western Asia (ESCWA) at the level of under secretary- general. Introducing
Mrs. Tallaway at a press conference in the
United Nations headquarters- Mrs.
Tallawy was appointed at the head of ESCWA
following a 38 year distinguished career in foreign affairs, international
relations and public service. Prior to her appointement she was the
secretary general of the national council for women in From 1962
to 1997, Mrs. Tallawy served her country
in the ministry of foreign affairs though a progressive experience
in various positions in Egyptian embassies and delegations. in
1987, she was the first woman in the Egyptian diplomatic corps to
be appointed at the level of ambassador and head of mission. During
this riveting diplomatic career, Mrs. Tallawy
served as ambassador of Egypt to Japan (1993-1997); deputy foreign
minister, responsible for political and economic affairs (1991-1993);
head of the Egyptian delegation to the Multilateral Negotiations on
regional economic Cooperation following the Madrid Middle East peace
conference (1991-1993) and; Ambassador of Egypt to Austria (1988-1991). During
her service in Vienna (Austria), one of the united nations main headquarters,
Mrs. Tallawy was resident representative
of Egypt to the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); resident
representative of Egypt to the united nations industrial development
organization (UNIDO) representative of Egypt to the centre for social
and humanitarian affairs, and Governor for Egypt on the board of Governors
of IAEA. In
the 1960s and the 1970s, Mrs. Tallawy served
A diverse international experience In
her diverse international experience, Mrs. Tallawy
focused on human rights, development population and gender issues
as well as on other fields such as economic development, drug control
environment and nature disaster reduction. She headed and participated
in the delegations of Egypt to the united nations general assembly's
special session on population and development (Cairo + 5) in June
1999 and previously the preparatory activities for the United Nations
international conference on population and development (ICPD, Cairo
- 1994) during which she was Egypt's chief negotiator. Mrs. Tallawy also headed and chaired her country's delegations
to the United Nations general assembly's 20th special session
on the world drug problem (June 1998); the committee on health at
the united nations fourth world conference on women (Beijing, 1995)
and participated in all united nations conferences on women from the
Mexico conference in 1975 to the United Nations general assembly's
special session on the fourth world conference on women (Beijing +
5) in 2000. In
1994, Mrs. Tallawy chaired the delegation
of Mrs.
Tallawy also participated in the following
conferences and meetings: the united nations conference on environment
and development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992), the United Nations nuclear
non-proliferation treaty (NPT) review conference (Geneva, 1990), the
conference on the adoption of the international convention on illicit
drug trafficking (Vienna, 1988) for which she was appointed Rapporteur
General as well as in the sessions of the United nations human rights
commission (1968-1977) and in the first United nations conference
on human rights (Tehran 1968). A person of initiatives During
her long devotion to the global human priority agenda, Mrs. Tallawy
took several initiatives in this regard namely introducing the idea
of an agreement between the international Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
and the African continent on technical cooperation for the peaceful
uses of nuclear technology (1989-1990), initiating the "right to
development" (Geneva, 1997) and submitting the proposal which
led to the adoption of the UN declaration on the protection of women
and children in time of armed conflict (New York, 1974). Equally
important initiatives were also taken by Mrs. Tallawy
during her enriching national service:
-
while minister of insurance
and social affairs, she drafted and promulgated law 153 of 1999 empowering
non-governmental organizations and the civil society in
-
she also introduced poverty
reduction programs and projects, including the allocation of a special
credit line in order to facilitate the access to credit of poor and
rural women and issuing of identity cards to otherwise undocumented
poor people in view of facilitating their access to many services
and benefits;
-
she established vocational
training programs aimed at improving the situation of low-income groups;
-
she improved mental health
and physical handicap institutions, and raised funds for the end;
-
she
called for the formulation of a national integrated social policy
and for giving it the highest possible priority and support.
-
She updated and renovated
the institution for Juvenile Delinquents and introduced educational
vocational training and recreational programs to improve the living
conditions of the youth. Mrs.
Tallawy also served on many committees for
the updating of legislation on equal rights, the rights of the child,
women's rights and the development of human resources in addition
to her service as focal point for several United Nations conferences
particularly those concerned with environment, population, social
development, women, older persons and the disabled. A
member of the club of Mrs. Tallawy is married, and has a daughter and two grandchildren. |
