4 Nov – UNAIDS is pleased to welcome Winnie Byanyima as its new Executive Director. Ms Byanyima brings to the role more than 30 years of experience in political leadership, diplomacy and humanitarian engagement.
“I am excited to be joining UNAIDS and am looking forward to working with all our partners to help drive the HIV response forward and to build fairer, healthier and happier societies, particularly for women and girls and for all groups of people shut out and left behind,” said Ms Byanyima.
Ms Byanyima brings a wealth of experience and commitment in harnessing the power of governments, multilateral agencies, the private sector and civil society to advance a people-centred development agenda. Ms Byanyima most recently held the post of Executive Director of Oxfam International. She also served for seven years as the Director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme.
Ms Byanyima holds an advanced degree in mechanical engineering (in energy conservation and the environment) from the Cranfield Institute of Technology and an undergraduate degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Manchester.
The United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres, appointed Ms Byanyima as the UNAIDS Executive Director and United Nations Under-Secretary-General in August following a comprehensive selection process that involved a search committee constituted by members of the UNAIDS Programme Coordinating Board. The UNAIDS Committee of Cosponsoring Organizations made the final recommendation on the appointment to the Secretary-General.