Former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth to head WWF

Posted on noviembre, 13 2001

WWF is delighted to annunce and welcome HE Chief Emeka Anyaoku as its new International President
Miami, USA - WWF, the conservation organization is delighted to announce and welcome HE Chief Emeka Anyaoku, as its new International President.

Secretary-General of the Commonwealth for two consecutive terms from 1990 to 2000, Chief Anyaoku, a Nigerian national, was elected President of the Board of Trustees of WWF International at its 2001 Annual Conference being held in Miami, Florida (1). He will take up his term of office from January 2002.

"Increasing environmental destruction and the imbalances in resource use between the developed and developing countries are having a growing adverse impact on our world," Chief Anyaoku said. "In this context it is an honour and a great challenge to serve as the President of an organization such as WWF, which is working to create a future in which humans can live in harmony with nature."

Aside from a short term as Nigerian Foreign Minister in 1983, Chief Anyaoku has spent most of his career in the Commonwealth Secretariat, which he joined in 1966. Before becoming Secretary-General other Commonwealth posts he held included Director for International Affairs, Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Secretary-General. Chief Anyaoku has also been a member of the International Board of the United World Colleges, and the Governing Council for the Institute for Strategic Studies in London, the Malaysian Commonwealth Studies Centre at Cambridge and the World Commission on Forestry. Currently Chief Anyaoku is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) (2).

Chief Anyaoku was awarded Commander of the Order of the Niger (CON) by the elected President of Nigeria, Alhaji Shehu Shagari in 1982. He was installed as Ndichie Chief, Ichie Adazie Obosi, at Obosi in December 1980, and invested with the title Ugwumba Idemili at Ogidi in January 1990.

"We are delighted that Chief Anyaoku has accepted to bring his extensive knowledge and understanding of international politics to the service of our organization," said Dr. Claude Martin, Director General of WWF. "We look forward to working closely with our new International President over the coming years and benefiting from his experience and wisdom."

For further information: Kyla Evans, Head of Press, WWF International. Tel: + 41 22 364 9550, email, kevans@wwfint.org

Notes to Editors:

  1. Amongst former WWF International Presidents were: HRH Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (1961-76), HRH Prince Philip (1981-96), Prof. Ruud Lubbers (2000-01)
  2. HE Chief Emeka Anyaoku currently also holds the following appointments: Chairman, Presidential Advisory Council on International Relations, Nigeria Distinguished Visiting Fellow, London School of Economics and Political Science President, The Royal Commonwealth Society President, The Royal African Society.