the United Nations (UN) has announced the appointment of the Nigerian, Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander as its Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste.
the appointment was ratified by the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, with the approval of the host government.
According to a press release seen by Nairametrics, Abosede Balogun-Alexander resumed his position on December 1, 2022.
About Abosede Balogun: Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander has more than 30 years of experience working and leading humanitarian, peace and development projects at a high level within the United Nations and international NGOs. Part of the UN statement described it thus:
- “Ms. Balogun-Alexander served as Head of Policy Action and Humanitarian Coordination, UN Women, where she led UN Women’s global response to humanitarian crises and supported UN Women country offices to strengthen the mainstreaming of gender perspective in UN-led coordinated humanitarian response in crisis-affected countries. .
- “Prior to that, she worked as UN Women Country Representative to UN Women, UN Women Ethiopia Deputy Representative, International Planned Parenthood Federation Director of External Relations and Advocacy, Africa Region and Kenya Program Manager for the United Nations Development Fund for Women.
- “Ms. Balogun-Alexander led and supported cross-functional teams at the country level to be fit for purpose and achieve impact and results, particularly in the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
- “He led UN inter-agency coordination to coordinate joint assessments, develop and implement joint UN programmes, including gender-based violence, governance and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.”
More details: The UN added that it has also coordinated national support and government priorities for the development and financing of social policies, including co-creating and advancing solutions on contentious issues of gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and groups minority groups, to ensure that no one is left behind in achieving the SDGs.
She has an MA in Gender and Development from the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, UK and a BA in English from the University of Lagos, Nigeria.