H.E the Secretary-General
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed
Qualifications
- Master’s degree in Human Resource Development – University of Manchester, UK
- Advanced Certificate in Economics and Social Policy Analysis – Maastricht University, Netherlands
- Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management – University of Montpellier, France
Positions Held
- 2022–2023: Chief of Staff to the President of Mauritania (Ministerial rank)
- 2018–2022: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation, and Mauritanians Abroad – Islamic Republic of Mauritania
- 2015–2018: Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Yemen
- 2015: Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General and Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER) in West Africa
- Deputy Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL)
- UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen and Syria
- Over 20 years: Held various leadership and administrative positions at UNICEF in the fields of human resources, change management, operations, and regional coordination; served in Mauritania, Togo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Georgia, Jordan, and the United States.
Areas of Expertise
- Diplomacy and international relations
- Negotiation, mediation, and conflict resolution
- Crisis management and humanitarian conflicts
- International development and humanitarian action
- Institutional reform and change management
- Leadership and management of multilateral organizations
Honors and Awards
- Recipient of honors from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the French Republic
- Founding member of an association specializing in human resource management and development within international organizations
Languages
- Arabic: Excellent
- French: Excellent
- English: Excellent
- Spanish: Beginner