UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres named a new head of U.N. peacekeeping operations and retained three senior U.N. officials as part of his campaign to reform the world body’s peace and security programs.

“I have announced that reforming the secretariat peace and security strategy, functioning and architecture would be a key priority,” Guterres, who took office in December, said in a statement.

“This important work will require both expertise and experience from principals and all staff members.”

The secretary-general said the personnel moves were made in anticipation of an internal review of peace and security operations that will be completed in June and then shared with U.N. member states.

Guterres named French diplomat Jean-Pierre Lacroix to a one-year term as the head of U.N. peacekeeping operations, according to the statement. His predecessor, Herve Ladsous, had declined an offer to stay on.

Lacroix will take office on April 1.

Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, the assistant secretary general for peace-building support; Atul Khare, the U.N. chief of field support; and Jeffrey Feltman, the U.N. chief for political affairs, accepted Guterres’ request to stay on through April 2018.