Dominican appointed president of World Maritime University

(CANANEWS) A Dominican national has been appointed as the new president of the World Maritime University (WMU) in Sweden.

Dr. Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry who will assume off in July, is the first woman and the first person from a developing country to head the institution.

The appointment was announced by Chancellor of the WMU, Koji Sekimiz, last week.

Doumbia-Henry is presently Director of the International Labour Standards Department, of the International Labour Office of the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, Switzerland.

In announcing the appointment Sekimiz said the incoming president has served the United Nations with distinction.

“Dr. Doumbia-Henry has served the UN system with distinction for many years and as Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the ILO she was instrumental in developing and working with governments and the shipowners’ and seafarers’ organizations to help ensure effective national legal implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006.”

“I am delighted that we have been able to secure such a distinguished and able individual to steer the WMU as it embarks on a new and exciting era and I wish her, and the University, every success in the future,” he added.

Doumbia-Henry began her career at the University of the West Indies, Barbados, as a lecturer in law.

She worked with the Iran-US Claims Tribunal in The Hague, The Netherlands and then joined the ILO in 1986 and served as a senior lawyer of the ILO as well as in other management positions before being appointed Director of the International Labour Standards Department in 2004.

In congratulating her, Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit said her  appointment is “an example of another great achievement of an outstanding Dominican national.”