File Photo: Ghada Waly Former minister and Director-General of the UNOV and Executive Director of the UNODC. AFP
Waly, who has held both positions since 2020, informed UN Secretary-General António Guterres earlier this week that she has resigned.
Guterres has accepted her resignation. Waly’s current term was due to run until February 2026.
In an internal memo, Waly assured staff she would remain in her role during the transition to ensure a smooth handover.
She was the first woman, Arab and African, to lead both UNOV and UNODC simultaneously. Under her leadership, UNODC expanded operations by over 60 percent and now runs programmes in 150 countries.
Before joining the UN, Waly served as Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity from 2014 to 2020 and had a long career in national development and drug control.
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