UN Appoints Waly as Executive Director of UNODC

United Nations Secretary‑General António Guterres announced on Thursday the appointment of Ghada Waly as the next Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Waly will also serve as Director‑General of the United Nations Office at Vienna. The Minister of Social Solidarity will succeed Russian Yury Fedotov following his dedicated service to the Organization.

Waly has over 30 years of experience in the field of sustainable development, poverty reduction, social solidarity, women and youth empowerment.  Waly has developed an Egyptian anti‑drug strategy, which led to a nationwide drug awareness campaign among youth to help rehabilitate persons with substance use disorders.

She serves as Coordinator of the Inter‑Ministerial Committee for Social Justice, Chairperson of the National Centre for Social and Criminological Research and chairs the Executive Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs in the League of Arab States.

Waly was the Program Director of CARE International in Egypt from 2000‑2004. Assistant Resident Representative at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt from 2004‑2011, the Managing Director of the Social Fund for Development from 2011‑2014.

The minister holds a Bachelor of Arts in foreign languages and literature from the Colorado State University, and a master’s degree in humanities.  She is capable of speaking four languages including Arabic, English, French and Spanish.