UN Withdraws Offer of African Envoy Post to Matt Hancock

(Bloomberg) -- Former U.K. Health Secretary Matt Hancock's appointment to a United Nations special envoy role has been scrapped. 

“Mr. Hancock's appointment by the UN Economic Commission for Africa is not being taken forward,” UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric told PassBlue, a news website that specializes in UN coverage, on Friday, adding “ECA has advised him of the matter.” 

In an appointment letter to Hancock, Vera Songwe, executive secretary of the ECA, lauded the “success of the U.K.'s response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the acceleration of vaccines.” That, she wrote, was a “testament” to the qualities Hancock would bring to the unpaid role, which would involve working on financial innovation and climate change in Africa.  

Matt Hancock Handed Africa Role After U.K. Covid Failings

News of the appointment sparked a backlash, especially as it coincided with the release of a parliamentary report calling the government's early pandemic response “one of the most important public health failures the United Kingdom has ever experienced.” 

Hancock quit Prime Minister Boris Johnson's cabinet in June after he was caught by security cameras in his own office in an embrace with one of his advisers, in breach of social distancing rules. While he gave up his position in Johnson's Cabinet, he remained a member of Parliament. 

The decision by the UN to withdraw the offer was a technical one related to him serving as a lawmaker, Hancock replied in an emailed statement to Bloomberg. 

“The U.N. have written to me to explain that a technical U.N. rule has subsequently come to light which states that sitting Members of Parliament cannot also be U.N. Special Representatives,” Hancock said. “Since I am committed to continuing to serve as MP for West Suffolk, this means I cannot take up the position.”

He also said that he looked forward to supporting the UN effort in  “whatever way I can in my Parliamentary role.” 

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