Ms. Diene Keita of Guinea has been appointed as the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Ms. Keita has been serving as Acting Executive Director since 16 July 2025, following the end of the tenure of her predecessor.Prior to that, she was Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director (Programme) at UNFPA since August 2020, overseeing the organization’s largest programme areas.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms. Keita said:“I am deeply honoured to lead UNFPA at this pivotal moment. 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.”
A seasoned leader with more than 30 years of international development and public service experience, Ms. Keita brings to the role a distinguished career at both national and multilateral levels. She is a former Minister of Cooperation and African Integration of the Republic of Guinea, where she helped strengthen partnerships and regional economic ties.
Within the UN system, she has held numerous leadership positions, including as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritania, Benin, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she played a central role in coordinating humanitarian and development responses.
At UNFPA, she served as Country Representative in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo,two of the Fund’s largest and most complex country programmes,overseeing initiatives that advanced sexual and reproductive health, strengthened maternal health systems, and promoted gender equality.
Ms. Keita’s UN journey began in 1990 with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). From the outset, she has been a strong advocate for women’s empowerment, youth engagement, the elimination of gender-based violence, and sustainable human development,principles that remain the cornerstone of her leadership.
Her academic background reflects her commitment to multidisciplinary expertise. She holds a doctorate in Law and advanced degrees in International Economics, Development Law, and International Relations from the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne. A polyglot, Ms. Keita is fluent in English, French, and Italian.
With this appointment,Ms. Keita becomes the organization’s sixth leader since its founding,she will also assume the rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General.
Ms. Keita takes the helm of UNFPA at a time when the agency is intensifying efforts to achieve the goals of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action.
The program aims to provide universal access to sexual and reproductive health services, and address the challenges posed by demographic transitions, humanitarian crises, and gender inequality.
Her leadership is expected to build on UNFPA’s legacy of championing the rights and choices of women and young people worldwide, while steering the organization through a period of transformative global change.
