Asha-Rose Mtengeti Migiro (born 9 July 1956) is a Tanzanian politician and diplomat who was the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations[3] from 2007 to 2012. She was appointed as the United Nations Secretary-General's Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa on 13 July 2012.

Asha–Rose Migiro
Migiro in 2009
Minister of Justice and Constitution Affairs
In office
20 January 2014 – 5 November 2015
PresidentJakaya Kikwete
Preceded byMathias Chikawe
Member of Parliament
In office
12 December 2013[1] – July 2015
Appointed byJakaya Kikwete
ConstituencyNone (Nominated MP)
3rd Deputy Secretary-General
of the United Nations
In office
5 February 2007 – 1 July 2012[2]
Secretary-GeneralBan Ki-moon
Preceded byMark Malloch Brown
Succeeded byJan Eliasson
12th Minister of Foreign Affairs
In office
4 January 2006 – 11 January 2007
Preceded byJakaya Kikwete
Succeeded byBernard Membe
Minister of Community Development,
Women and Children
In office
2000–2005
PresidentBenjamin Mkapa
Succeeded bySophia Simba
4th Chancellor of Open University of Tanzania
In office
2011–2016
PresidentJakaya Kikwete
Preceded byJohn Malecela
Succeeded byMizengo Pinda
High Commissioner to the United Kingdom
In office
2016–2023
Preceded byPeter Kallage
Succeeded byMbelwa Kairuki
Personal details
Born (1956-07-09) 9 July 1956 (age 68)
Songea, Tanganyika
NationalityTanzanian
Political partyChama Cha Mapinduzi
SpouseCleophas Migiro
Alma materUniversity of Dar es Salaam
University of Konstanz (Dr. iur.)
ProfessionLawyer
PositionsLecturer, UDSM (1981–2000)
Chancellor, OUT (2011-2016)

Early life and education

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Born at Songea in Ruvuma Region, Migiro commenced her education at Mnazi Mmoja Primary School in 1963. She later moved on to Korogwe Primary School, Weruweru Secondary School, and, finally, Korogwe Secondary School, where she graduated high school in 1975.[4]

She obtained her LL.B and LL.M from the University of Dar es Salaam and her PhD in 1992 from the University of Konstanz in Germany. Before entering politics, she was a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Law at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM).[5] She headed the Department of Constitution and Administrative Law from 1992 to 1994 and the Department of Civil and Criminal Law from 1994 to 1997.

Time in the Tanzanian government

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Migiro with President Jakaya Kikwete

Migiro served as a ward member of Chama Cha Mapinduzi from 1994 to 2000, and as a member of a Regional Executive Council from 2000 to 2005.[4] From 2000 to 2006, she was the Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children's Affairs. She became the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on 4 January 2006, when the previous foreign minister, Jakaya Kikwete, who had been elected president, appointed his new cabinet. She was the first woman in that position since the independence of the United Republic of Tanzania.[6]

While in the position of foreign minister, Migiro chaired the Council of Ministers' meetings of the International Conference of the Great Lakes Region and the Southern African Development Community(SADC) Ministerial Committee of the Organ on Politics, Defense and Security Cooperation. She coordinated SADC assistance to the elections in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Zambia and Madagascar. She also served as President of the United Nations Security Council during its open debate on peace, security and development in the Great Lakes Region.

Serving as foreign minister, Migiro accompanied the former president of the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, during a tour of his country's new consulate in Tanzania and inspected a Tanzanian hospital.[7] According to United States officials, Condoleezza Rice, the American Secretary of State, is "personally acquainted" with her.[8] Kikwete appointed Bernard Membe to succeed Migiro as foreign minister in January 2007.[9]

United Nations appointment

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Migiro was appointed to the post of United Nations Deputy Secretary-General by Ban Ki-moon, the new United Nations Secretary-General from South Korea, on 5 January 2007.[3] According to Ban, "She is a highly respected leader who has championed the cause of developing countries over the years..." He also said that "Through her distinguished service in diverse areas, she has displayed outstanding management skills with wide experience and expertise in socio-economic affairs and development issues."[10] According to The New York Times, this was a fulfilment of his promise to pick a woman from the developing world for the post of Deputy Secretary-General.[8] The UN News Centre noted that Migiro and Ban had worked together while they were foreign ministers of their respective countries.[5] She was formally appointed and assumed office on 1 February 2007.[11]

During her time at the United Nations, Migiro was also a member of the Commission on Effective Development Cooperation with Africa which was set up by the Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen of Denmark and held meetings between April and October 2008.[12] In September 2009, she travelled to Rome and had a meeting with Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini and Pope Benedict XVI to discuss violence against women. United Nations representatives were reportedly preparing to finalise an initiative aimed at stopping the genital mutilation of women and genocide.[13]

Migiro served as Deputy Secretary-General until June 2012.

Later career

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After serving at the United Nations, Migiro returned to Tanzania and was appointed cabinet minister in the cabinet of Jakaya Kikwete. She later entered the race to become the CCM candidate in the 2015 presidential elections, but lost the nomination to the eventual winner John Magufuli.

President Magufuli appointed Migiro as High Commissioner to the United Kingdom in May 2016.[14]

Personal life

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She is married to Cleophas Migiro, and the couple has two daughters.[15]

References

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  1. ^ "Dr Migiro returns as MP". Daily News (Tanzania). Dodoma. Archived from the original on 16 December 2013. Retrieved 13 December 2013.
  2. ^ TT (2 March 2012). "Jan Eliasson får toppjobb vid FN (Jan Eliasson get top position at the UN) (Swedish)". Aftonbladet.se.
  3. ^ a b Associated Press authors (5 January 2007). "Tanzania's Migiro is U.N. deputy". www.cnn.com. CNN. Archived from the original on 7 January 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
  4. ^ a b "Member of Parliament CV". Parliament of Tanzania. Archived from the original on 18 May 2015. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
  5. ^ a b "Tanzanian Foreign Minister named new UN Deputy Secretary-General". UN News Centre. 5 January 2007.
  6. ^ Muhiddin, Hassan (5 January 2006). "JK's beefed up team". The Guardian. IPPMedia Ltd. Archived from the original on 3 January 2007. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
  7. ^ Kisembo, Patrick. "We'll do business together, Comoros president promises". The Guardian. IPPMedia Ltd. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 12 January 2007.
  8. ^ a b Preston, Julia (5 January 2007). "Tanzanian Woman Is Chosen for U.N.'s 2nd Highest Post". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
  9. ^ "Membe new Foreign minister". TSN Daily News. TSN. 12 January 2007. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
  10. ^ "Asha-Rose Migiro is new U.N. deputy secretary-general from Tanzania". www.myafricatoday.com. MyAfricaToday. 6 January 2006. Retrieved 13 January 2007. [dead link]
  11. ^ "New UN Deputy Secretary-General takes oath of office", Xinhua, 6 February 2007.
  12. ^ Commission on Effective Development Cooperation with Africa Folketing.
  13. ^ "Google News". Google News. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  14. ^ "Magufuli names Asha-Rose Migiro ambassador to UK", The Guardian, 5 May 2016.
  15. ^ "Migiro deputy UN boss". The Guardian. IPPMedia Ltd. 6 January 2007. Archived from the original on 9 January 2007. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
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Political offices
Preceded by Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
4 January 2006 – 11 January 2007
Succeeded by
Positions in intergovernmental organisations
Preceded by Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
2007–2012
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by CCM Secretary for Politics and Foreign Relations
November 2012 – present
Incumbent