Abdalla Hamdok appointed ECA’s acting head
The United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has designated Abdalla Hamdok of Sudan as acting executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA).
Hamdok took office on November 1 2016, following the departure of Carlos Lopes of Guinea-Bissau on October 31.
Lopes served the ECA for four years, and leaves the UN after 28 years of service in various capacities.
With over 30 years’ experience in the areas of public sector reforms, governance, regional integration and resource management, Hamdok has headed major portfolios, addressing diverse development challenges of the African policy landscape.
He also has served as deputy executive secretary and chief economist of the ECA since 2011 prior to which, he successfully headed ECA’s portfolios of activities on development policy management, Nepad and regional integration, and governance and public administration.
From 2003-2008, he served the International IDEA as its Regional Director for Africa and the Middle East.
Abdalla Hamdok holds a PhD and MA in Economics from the School of Economic Studies, University of Manchester, UK and a BSc. (honours) from the University of Khartoum, Sudan.
