UN development chief to step down

The head of the United Nations Development Program had decided to step down from his post. Kemal Davis from Turkey, announced his decision today. The Development Program runs the United Nations anti-poverty efforts.

We learned of the announcement from this mention in the Times News.

Kemal Dervis, who has headed the U.N. program since August 2005, informed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon that he decided not to seek a second term and to leave the post March 1 "due to personal and family reasons," a UNDP statement said.

Before joining UNDP, Dervis was a member of the Turkish Parliament from November 2002 to June 2005. He previously had served as Turkey's minister for economic affairs and the treasury.