Ms. Joyce Msuya assumes new position as Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator
Ms. Joyce Msuya of the United Republic of Tanzania starts today as Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator in the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Ms. Msuya succeeds Ursula Mueller of Germany, who had served in the position until February 2020. In the interim, Ramesh Rajasingham had been Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs.
Ms. Msuya brings more than 20 years’ experience in international development and finance, spanning strategy, operations and partnerships, and with diverse assignments in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Since 2018, Ms. Msuya served as Deputy Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya. Between 2018 and 2019, she served as UNEP’s interim Executive Director at the Under-Secretary-General level, leading the fourth session of the UN Environment Assembly and mobilizing resources to support its mission.
Ms. Msuya has held several senior leadership roles at the World Bank Group, including that of Special Representative and Head of the World Bank Group Office in the Republic of Korea, Regional Coordinator at the World Bank Institute, based in China, and Special Adviser to the World Bank’s then Senior Vice President and Chief Economist. She also led strategy and operations for the International Finance Corporation in Africa and Latin America, covering the manufacturing, agribusiness and services sectors.
Ms. Msuya holds a Master of Science in Microbiology and Immunology from the University of Ottawa, Canada, a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Immunology from the University of Strathclyde, Scotland, and management and public health certifications from Harvard Business School and Johns Hopkins University.
Ms. Msuya is fluent in English, Swahili and Pare, and conversant in Mandarin. She is married and has two children.