UNESCO’s Director-General appoints her senior staff
UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova today informed the members of UNESCO’s Executive Board of her choice of senior management team.
As part of the UNESCO organisational structure, there are five main programme sectors reflecting the fields of activities of UNESCO: Education; Natural Sciences; Social and Human Sciences; Culture; Communication and Information. Each sector is headed by an Assistant Director-General.
Under the authority of the Director-General, the Assistant Directors-General are responsible for providing intellectual leadership and strategic vision both in the field of their respective Sector and Field Offices. The Assistant Directors-General are also responsible for the overall management, formulation, planning and coordination of UNESCO’s programmes and plans of action in their Sector.
The new Deputy Director-General will be Getachew Engida, who is currently UNESCO’s Comptroller. Mr Engida, of Ethiopia, has had a distinguished international career in auditing and financial management for prominent international companies and also worked for the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) as Assistant Comptroller. He joined UNESCO in his current position in 2004.
UNESCO’s Education Sector will be headed by Qian Tang of China, who is currently its interim Assistant Director-General. A specialist in secondary and technical education, Mr Tang has been an educator and a diplomat as well as a technical and professional education manager at China’s Ministry for Education.
The new Assistant Director-General in charge of the Natural Sciences Sector will be Gretchen Kalonji of the United States of America. Currently Director of International Systemwide Research Development at the University of California’s Office of the President, Ms Kalonji’s international career in materials science and educational transformation has taken her to university positions in France, Japan and China.
UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector will be headed by Maria del Pilar Alvarez-Laso of Mexico. The new Assistant Director-General is currently Director of Projects at the Latin American Institute for Educational Communication in Mexico City. Her distinguished career includes both social science research positions and media and communications responsibilities, notably as the Editorial Coordinator at the Mexican Television Institute.
The new Assistant Director-General for Culture will be Francesco Bandarin of Italy. Mr Bandarin is currently Director of UNESCO’s World Heritage Centre, having taken up this position with UNESCO in 2000. As a specialist in architecture and urban planning, Mr Bandarin previously worked in both public and private institutions in the fields of built heritage, cultural heritage conservation, environmental heritage and cultural events, as well as architectural and urban design in developing countries.
The new Assistant Director-General for UNESCO’s Communication and Information Sector will be Janis Karklins of Latvia. Currently Latvian Ambassador to France and Permanent Delegate to UNESCO, after an initial career in industry, Mr Karklins became the Permanent Representative of his country at the United Nations in Geneva.
The new Assistant Director-General for UNESCO’s Africa Department will be Lalla Aïcha Ben Barka of Mali, who is currently the Deputy Executive Secretary of the United Nations’ Economic Commission for Africa. Ms Ben Barka was Director of UNESCO’s Regional Bureau for Education in Africa, from 2004-2007.
The new Assistant Directors-General are expected to take office on 1 July 2010. For further information, click here.
Written: 15/04/2010 , last modified: 15/04/2010
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