NEW YORK,— Taonga Mushayavanhu, Zimbabwe’s newly appointed Permanent Representative to the United Nations, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres today.
Mushayavanhu brings extensive diplomatic experience to his new role. Before this appointment, he served as the head of the President of Zimbabwe’s Secretariat and Chief of Staff from March 2023. Prior to that, he was the Chief Director for Multilateral Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Trade from January to February 2023.
From December 2020 through 2022, Mushayavanhu represented Zimbabwe in Ethiopia as the Permanent Representative to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa. During this period, he also served as Chairperson of the African Union Permanent Representatives Committee’s Sub-Committee on Human Rights, Democracy, and Governance from March 2021 to December 2022.
Mushayavanhu’s diplomatic career includes a notable tenure from November 2014 to October 2020 as Zimbabwe’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office, the World Trade Organization (WTO), and other international organizations in Geneva. Starting in September 2017, he concurrently held the position of Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Vienna.
Throughout his career, Mushayavanhu has been actively involved in various United Nations bodies. He served as President of the Conference on Disarmament from August to December 2019 and chaired the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Development from March 2017 to March 2018.
Born in 1963, Mushayavanhu began his foreign service career in 1987, holding various positions within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, including postings in London, United Kingdom, and Beijing, China.
He holds a postgraduate diploma in management from the University of London and a postgraduate diploma in diplomacy and international studies from the University of Nairobi. Additionally, he earned both a Master of Arts and a Bachelor of Arts with Honours in economic history from the University of Zimbabwe.
Mushayavanhu’s appointment is expected to strengthen Zimbabwe’s diplomatic presence at the United Nations, leveraging his vast experience and expertise in multilateral affairs.
