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INTERNATIONAL

and for the United Nations Economic Please tell us a little about how your work at
Commission for Africa’s natural resources UNCTAD?
division. I also served as senior advisor to the I currently work as the Director of the
Global Environment Facility (GEF), and chief United Nations Conference on Trade and
executive officer and secretary to the GEF Development’s Division for Africa, LDCs
Council in Washington D.C. and special programmes. My dicvision’s
work really touches on the core mandates
In your long and impressive career, what have of UNCTAD as we focus our research and
been the positions that you have found the policy development work on the poorest
most fulfilling, the most challenging, and the and most vulnerable countries. In addition
most enjoyable? to a geographic emphasis on the trade and
I have had diverse and exciting professional development challenges in Africa, we also
experiences, serving in various capacities in focus on the systemic challenges facing
the United Nations system. They have all been small island developing states, landlocked
memorable in their own ways. The colleagues developing countries and other structurally
and people I have worked alongside in Nairobi, weak and vulnerable economies. It is a broad
Addis Ababa, New York, Washington, D.C., mandate, but we focus on the productive side
Geneva and in between definitely stand out of development, helping countries to unlock
and leave lasting memories. their productive capacities and build the
skills, policy tools and institutions necessary
A personal highlight would of course be from to meet the ever-growing challenges of our
my time in New York, working directly with times head on. UNCTAD’s work originates
the Secretary-General, Ban Ki moon. The pace in our research. I think that the critical first
was hectic, but it was exhilarating to support the step in this work stems from identifying the
Secretary-General’s role directly. My team and emerging and topical issues and development
I were responsible for advising the Secretary- questions that member states really need
General on the development pillar and answers to in an urgent way. Thinking critically
supporting the activities of the United Nations’ and innovatively about binding development
development-related departments, funds and constraints and anticipating the challenges
programmes, fostering policy integration and the that vulnerable developing countries may
implementation of the Sustainable Development face to new threats in the global system is an
Goals. It was a my good fortune to meet eminent essential first step and jumping off point for
policy makers and global leaders. It was also our research and policy work. We then aim
an opportunity to understand the intricacies to translate that research and critical thinking
of international decision making at the highest into actionable, and practical aid in countries
level, as well as the political consequences of themselves.
such decisions and processes.
My division focuses its efforts on the LDCs
Working in New York and with Secretary- or the 46 least developed countries that are
General also meant close collaboration with recognized by the United Nations. These are
member states and engagement with the the poorest countries. They also face deep
General Assembly. A notable contribution structural challenges to their development
in this regard was the efforts we made to both on the economic and social fronts.
catalyse the early discussions on migration Addressing other systemic risks like climate
and development, which eventually led to change and environmental vulnerability are
the negotiation and adoption of the Global also key for these countries in the long run.
Compact on Migration. This was rather The major motivation for working with the
early in the multilateral discussions, but the LDCs is to help them kick-start a development
core issue of migration and the economic processes that can be inclusive and sustainable,
contribution that the movement of men and one that will help them embark on a process
women moving across the world make is termed “graduation” from LDC status. This
definitely one that stands out to me. can be a long and often difficult path, but

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