UN appoints Nigerian as resident coordinator in Timor-Leste
The United Nations (UN) has designated Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander, a Nigerian, as its Resident Coordinator in Timor-Leste.
The appointment received approval from the host Government and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
In a press announcement, Abosede Balogun-Alexander commenced her role
About Abosede Balogun:
In prominent positions within the United Nations and international NGOs, Olufunmilayo Abosede Balogun-Alexander boasts over 30 years of expertise in executing and overseeing humanitarian, peace, and development initiatives. The UN’s proclamation included the following characterization of her:
“Ms Balogun-Alexander functioned as Head, Humanitarian Normative and Coordination Action, UN Women, where she spearheaded UN Women’s global approach to humanitarian emergencies and aided UN Women Country Offices in reinforcing gender integration in UN-led Humanitarian Coordinated responses in crisis-affected regions.
“Previously, she acted as UN Women Country Representative to UN Women, Deputy Representative at UN Women Ethiopia, Director of External Relations and Advocacy for the International Planned Parenthood Federation, Africa Region, and Kenya Programme Manager for the UN Development Fund for Women.
“Ms Balogun-Alexander guided and supported multi-disciplinary teams at the national level to be effective and to achieve impact and outcomes, particularly regarding the humanitarian-development-peace nexus.
“She orchestrated UN inter-agency collaboration to steer joint evaluations, develop and execute collaborative UN programs, encompassing gender-based violence, governance, and protection against sexual exploitation and abuse.”
To ensure that nobody is overlooked in the accomplishment of the SDGs, the UN also highlighted that she has coordinated national backing and governmental priorities for development and social policy financing, including co-creating and advancing solutions on contentious matters related to gender equality, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and minority communities.
Her Bachelor of Arts in English is from the University of Lagos in Nigeria, and she possesses a master’s degree in gender and development from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.
