Diene Keita Appointed Executive Director of UN Population Fund
August 31, 2025
Diene Keita of Guinea has been appointed Executive Director of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, by UN Secretary-General António Guterres. She holds the rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General and is the Fund’s sixth Executive Director.
Keita has been serving as Acting Executive Director since July 16, 2025, and as UN Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director (Programme) since August 2020. A former Minister of Cooperation and African Integration for Guinea, Keita has over 30 years of experience in international development and public service. She has served as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritania, Benin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Within UNFPA, she has held senior positions including Representative in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, two of the organization’s largest country programmes. She began her UN career in 1990 with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Throughout her career, she has focused on empowering women and youth, advancing gender equality, eliminating gender-based violence and contributing to sustainable human development.
Keita holds a doctorate in Law and advanced degrees in International Economics, Development Law and International Relations from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. She speaks English, French and Italian.
“I am deeply honoured to lead UNFPA at this pivotal moment,” Keita said. “In a world marked by rapid demographic shifts and uncertainty, UNFPA’s work to uphold rights and choices and help countries navigate change is more essential than ever. By safeguarding sexual and reproductive health and rights, we not only save lives—we lay the foundation for healthier, more resilient, and more prosperous societies. When women and young people thrive, entire nations prosper.”
UNFPA is the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, with the mission to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.
Source: UNFPA Press Release – https://www.unfpa.org/press/diene-keita-appointed-executive-director-united-nations-population-fund-unfpa
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