Ambassador Maged A. Abdelaziz was sworn in by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday 17th of May 2012 as Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser on Africa (OSAA). He brings to the position more than 33 years of experience in multilateral diplomacy, a direct engagement in promoting global peace, security and development.
Prior to his appointment and since January 2005, Mr. Abdelaziz served as Permanent Representative of Egypt to the United Nations in New York. In that capacity, he co-chaired the 2008 Review Conference on Financing for Development and, in 2009, he was the Rapporteur, representing Africa, at the Conference on the Economic and Financial Crisis and Its Impact on Development. He has served as Vice President of the United Nations General Assembly (2008-2009) and Vice President of the Economic and Social Council (2011-12). He also represented Africa in the Bureau of the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development (2011-2012) and played a significant role in ensuing its success.
Dr. Yaw Ansu is Chief Economist at the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), where he leads the implementation of an extensive research program focused on analyzing and promoting economic transformation in African countries. He was the principal author of ACET’s 2014 African Transformation Report: Growth with Depth. Prior to joining ACET, he spent over 26 years working at the World Bank.
Mr. Kijjambu is the founder and CEO of 1000 Cups Coffee, Uganda. He studied at Alfateh University (Agronomy) , and at the University of Ghent, Msc.(Agricultural Science). Past Employment includes: Uganda Coffee Marketing Board, Cargill (U) Ltd, and Zigoti Coffee. Business Achievements include the following; 1.Feature BBC Documentary of The Year; Africa Open For Business; 2. The 2007 Africa Delegate ,Borlaug Food Dialogue USA; 3.The 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year, Improving Rural Livelihoods, Market Matters Inc. USA; 4.The 2014 Best Coffee Consumption and Tourism Operator, Uganda Coffee Development Authority; and 5.Promoter, The Great Generation, NGO empowering generations.
Ms. Jennifer Nosma Mhlanga, is a Zimbabwean politician from who hails from the ZANU-PF party. Ms. Jennifer Nosma Mhlanga was elected into parliament in July 2013 to represent Mashonaland West Constituency. Ms. Jennifer Nosma Mhlanga, is a Member of Parliament of Zimbabwe and Member of the Bureau of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Standing Committee on Sustainable Development, Finance and Trade to UNCTAD 14.
Mr. Erastus Mwencha was elected in January 2008, as Deputy Chairperson of the African Union Commission by the Heads of State and Government of the 54 Member States of the African Union and re-elected to the same position in July 2012. During his first tenure as Deputy Chairperson of the AUC, Mr. Mwencha placed particular emphasis on supporting continental development agenda and programs as well as strengthening internal institutional systems. His strategic focus has been to upgrade those internal mechanisms that allow the organization to perform its role on the continent and in the world optimally. Prior to his election at the AUC, he worked at Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) for over 25 years and served as Secretary General for ten years.
Director, East African Regional Director, African Development Bank, Kenya
Prof. Emmanuel Nnadozie, an economist and development expert, became the Executive Secretary of the African Capacity Building Foundation on Dec. 1, 2013. He came from the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) in Addis Ababa where he worked from 2004 to 2012. His last post at the Commission was Director of Macroeconomic Policy Division and Chief Economist. In addition, he was an Adviser to the Executive Secretary of the Commission. Among his major achievements in that role was his successful supervision of the production for four unbroken years of the flagship publication of the Commission, the annual Economic Report on Africa, between 2010 and 2013.
Mr. Alioune Sarr is Minister of Trade, Industry and Informal Sector, Senegal. Before being appointed to the Government of Senegal, Mr. Alioune Sarr was Director General of the Senegalese Agency for Export Promotion (ASEPEX). In this position he launched major projects and conducted missions for the positioning of products and services “Made in Senegal” in regional and international markets. Alioune Sarr has led several international missions for the Government of Senegal to: France, Germany, Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Korea, USA, Malaysia, Indonesia, and India. In these countries, Mr. Alioune Sarr established contacts and signed several partnerships contracts and projects financing agreements aimed at strengthening the competitiveness of products and services “Made in Senegal” and improving their access to international markets. Mr. Sarr holds a Post-graduate degree (DESS) in Business Administration and Management from the University of Dakar and a Master in Computer Science and Business Administration from the University of Bordeaux, France.
Mr Singhateh served in various ministries in President Yahya Jammeh’s cabinet from 1994 to 2007. He was Minister of Defence from 1994 to 1995 and was Vice Chairman and Minister of defence in the then Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council from 1995 to 1997. He also held the portfolios of minister of Information and Communication, minister of Works, minister of Trade, minister of Presidential Affairs and minister of Fisheries in the cabinet. Mr. Singhateh left the cabinet in 2007, and subsequently studied law. He later served as a magistrate, and private lawyer, before his appointment as Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission.