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Kofi Annan Foundation Chairman ElHadj As Sy

Elhadj As Sy announced as Chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation Board

The interim chair of the Kofi Annan Foundation, Ambassador Jenö Staehelin and the entire board are pleased to announce the appointment of Elhadj As Sy as the new chairman of the Foundation.

Mr Sy, who is from Senegal, currently serves as the Secretary-General and CEO of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

“I am delighted that Elhadj As Sy has accepted this important responsibility,” said Ambassador Staehelin. “With his wide-ranging experience gained from his work at the IFRC as well as at the United Nations, As Sy will help the Foundation build on the extraordinary legacy that Kofi Annan has left us.”

“As Sy will help the Foundation build on the extraordinary legacy that Kofi Annan has left us.”

The President of the Foundation Alan Doss stated that “All of us at the Kofi Annan Foundation are looking forward to working with Elhadj As Sy. I am sure that we will greatly benefit from his wisdom and knowledge as we move ahead with the Foundation’s active and expanding programmes.”

Elhadj As Sy says “Kofi Annan was a towering figure who made a difference in the lives of people not only in Africa but around the world. Our job now is to take his vision forward and ensure that his values are reflected in our ambition to achieve a fairer and more peaceful world. On behalf of the entire organisation, I would like to thank interim Chair Jenö Staehelin and the other outgoing board members for having served the Foundation so well for so many years. It is hard to overstate the depth of gratitude we owe you.”

About Elhadj As Sy

Kofi Annan Foundation Chairman Elhadj As SyPrior to his leadership role at the IFRC, Mr Sy was UNICEF’s Director of Partnerships and Resource Development in New York. He has also served as UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and Global Emergency Coordinator for the Horn of Africa.
Mr Sy held leadership positions with the United Nations Development Programme in New York, with the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria and with UNAIDS.

Before joining the United Nations, Mr Sy served as Director of Health and Development Programmes with Environment and Development Action in the Third World in Dakar, Senegal.

Mr Sy holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Arts and Human Sciences from the University of Dakar. He then pursued Master’s studies in Arts and Germanistik at the University of Graz and graduated from the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. He was also awarded a postgraduate diploma in Education from the École normale supérieure in Dakar. He speaks English, French and German and is a national of Senegal.