The United Nations secretary-general has appointed Indian development economist, lawyer and UN official Satya S Tripathi the assistant secretary-general and head of the New York office of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Tripathi will succeed Elliott Harris of Trinidad and Tobago, said a statement released by the UN on Monday. Tripathi has worked with the UN since 1998 in Europe, Asia and Africa on sustainable development, human rights, democratic governance and legal affairs.

Tripathi was also the director and executive head of the United Nations Office for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries Coordination in Indonesia, and the United Nations Recovery Coordinator for the $7 billion post-tsunami and post-conflict recovery efforts in Aceh and Nias in Indonesia.

Tripathi has held government positions in India as a member of the national civil services. He completed his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in law from Odisha’s Berhampur University.