In a press release on November 1, 2019 the United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) welcomed Winnie Byanyima as its new Executive Director. Ms Byanyima brings to the role more than 30 years of experience in political leadership, diplomacy and humanitarian engagement.
“I am excited to be joining UNAIDS and am looking forward to working with all our partners to help drive the HIV response forward and to build fairer, healthier and happier societies, particularly for women and girls and for all groups of people shut out and left behind,”
said Ms Byanyima.
This, now world leader, who migrated to the UK as a refugee at the early age of 18 years old, is lauded for her work as a global advocate for positive change:
"Ms Byanyima brings a wealth of experience and commitment in harnessing the power of governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector and civil society to advance a people-centered development agenda. Ms Byanyima most recently held the post of Executive Director of Oxfam International. She also served for seven years as the Director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme.”
Ms Byanyima was the only woman shortlisted for the position she now holds, after her appointment by The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres back in August of this year, following a comprehensive selection process that involved a search committee constituted by members of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board.
During a visit to Paris, Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of Oxfam International at that time, spoke to FRANCE 24's Philip Turle about the migrant crisis and in particular, European countries' reluctance to take in more refugees, their "fair share" as she saw it.
- Issued on: 11/02/2019 and retrieved on November 5, 2019
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