Unaisi Vuniwaqa appointed as Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security

Fiji’s Unaisi Lutu Vuniwaqa has been appointed by the United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres as Assistant Secretary-General for Safety and Security.

Vuniwaqa succeeds Nóirín O’Sullivan of Ireland.

As deputy to the Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security, Vuniwaqa will be responsible for day-to-day management, supporting in the overall leadership and management of the Department.

Vuniwaqa has over 35 years of experience in law enforcement at the national and international level, and most recently held the position of Police Commissioner and Head of the United Nations Police component with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, instrumental in promoting ‘Gender Responsive Policing’ initiatives which resulted in the early achievement of uniformed gender parity targets set for 2028.

She was previously the Assistant Commissioner of Police Administration in the Fiji Police Force, having started her policing career in 1986 and progressed through the ranks, holding various operational and managerial positions since then, including in strategic planning, training, human resources and community policing.

Vuniwaqa holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.