Secretary-General Appoints Hanaa Singer-Hamdy of Egypt as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mali
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Hanaa Singer-Hamdy from Egypt as the new United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mali, effective January 24. This appointment, which has received approval from the Malian government, also designates her as the Humanitarian Coordinator. With over 30 years of experience in development, humanitarian action, and peacebuilding, Singer-Hamdy is expected to make a significant impact in her new role.
Extensive Experience in Leadership
Hanaa Singer-Hamdy brings a wealth of experience to her new position, having held various senior leadership roles within the United Nations. Most recently, she served as the Resident Coordinator in Nepal, a position she held since 2023. Prior to that, she was the Resident Coordinator in Sri Lanka from 2018 to 2022. In these roles, she acted as the Secretary-General’s representative, leading United Nations country teams and fostering partnerships with governments and other stakeholders. Her efforts focused on advancing integrated approaches to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
Singer-Hamdy’s career also includes significant roles at the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), where she served as Associate Regional Director in Geneva and held various Country Representative positions in Syria, Nepal, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. In these capacities, she provided strategic leadership for multisectoral programs and developed high-level partnerships to address the needs of vulnerable populations.
Humanitarian and Development Operations
Throughout her career, Singer-Hamdy has demonstrated a strong ability to manage complex humanitarian and development operations. She has been instrumental in ensuring that programs are responsive during emergencies while also promoting long-term transformative results. Her leadership was particularly notable during crises, where she played a key role in planning cross-border humanitarian access to assist vulnerable populations in conflict-affected regions such as Afghanistan and Iraq.
Her extensive background in both humanitarian action and development work positions her well to address the multifaceted challenges faced in Mali. As the new Resident Coordinator, she will be tasked with coordinating efforts to provide assistance and support to those in need while also working towards sustainable development goals in the region.
Academic Background and Publications
In addition to her extensive professional experience, Hanaa Singer-Hamdy has also engaged in academia and research. She has taught political sociology and international relations at the American University of Cairo and the Sadat Academy for Management Sciences at Cairo University. Her academic contributions include authoring and co-authoring two publications focused on social change in the Middle East.
Singer-Hamdy holds a master’s degree in political sociology and a bachelor’s degree in political science from the American University in Cairo. She also has a diploma in “Planning and Management of Decentralized Development Projects” from the University of Bradford in the United Kingdom. Her educational background complements her professional expertise, equipping her with the knowledge and skills necessary for her new role in Mali.
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