UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 16 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday informed the General Assembly of his intention to appoint Inger Andersen of Denmark as the new head of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), his press office said.

Andersen is currently serving as director-general of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, a post she has held since 2015. She previously held various leadership positions at the World Bank and the United Nations, most recently as World Bank vice president for the Middle East and North Africa.

Andersen's nomination came after the resignation of Erik Solheim from the post of UNEP executive director in November 2018. Solheim stepped down amid criticisms of his extensive travels and a management style that prompted a few Scandinavian and other countries to withhold contributions to the UNEP.