In a significant development for international governance, veteran Antiguan diplomat Conrod C. Hunte has been elected to chair the United Nations Joint Inspection Unit (JIU), the organization’s sole independent external oversight body. The election occurred during the Unit’s Winter Session on December 3rd in Geneva, where Inspector Hunte assumed leadership alongside Vice-Chair Mohanad Al-Musawi of Iraq.
This appointment marks a pivotal moment for the JIU as it approaches its 60th anniversary. Ambassador Hunte brings nearly forty years of multilateral experience to the position, including previous roles as Antigua and Barbuda’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York and Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency. His extensive background includes chairing both the Group of 77 and China in the UN Fifth Committee and the Alliance of Small Island States at UNFCCC conferences.
Since joining the JIU in 2023, Inspector Hunte has already made substantial contributions through focused reviews of major UN agencies including the Food and Agriculture Organization and the UN Environment Programme. He has authored critical reports on governance structures within UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS, UNICEF, and UN-Women, while co-authoring groundbreaking research on preventing sexual exploitation across the UN system.
The JIU’s mandate under Hunte’s leadership will continue to focus on optimizing resource allocation, enhancing administrative efficiency, and identifying best practices throughout the UN system. Ambassador Walton Webson, Antigua and Barbuda’s Permanent Representative to the UN, celebrated the election as both a national pride and regional achievement, highlighting Hunte’s career-long dedication to strengthening accountability within international institutions.