Egypt’s Ghada Wali sworn in as UN Office on Drugs and Crime executive head

Egypt’s former minister of social solidarity Ghada Wali was sworn in in New York on Saturday as the executive director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). This is in addition to serving as director-general of the United Nations Office at Vienna (UNOV).

According to a statement issued on Saturday by the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wali took the oath during the reception held by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the UN’s headquarters in New York.

Egypt’s permanent representative at the UN, Ambassador Mohamed Idris, noted that there was a fierce competition in the selection process of Wali’s position. Wali served as Egypt’s minister of social solidarity from 2014 to 2019.

On 21 November, Guterres announced the appointment of Wali as the next executive director of the UNODC and director-general of the UNOV, succeeding Yuri Fedotov of the Russian Federation.

Wali earned a Masters’ degree in Humanities and Bachelor of Arts in foreign languages and literature from Colorado State University. She has over 30 years of experience in the field of sustainable development, poverty reduction, and social protection, women and youth empowerment.

Source: Ahram Online