Jump to content

Vera Songwe: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→External links: Apparently not her Twitter
Tags: Reverted section blanking
Link
 
(22 intermediate revisions by 16 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Cameroonian banking executive}}
{{Short description|Cameroonian Economist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
⚫
[[File:Vera Songwe at the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 (49418317753) (cropped).jpg|alt=|thumb|Vera Songwe in 2020]]
{{Infobox officeholder
⚫
'''Vera Songwe''' is an economist and banking executive from [[Cameroon]] who has worked for the [[World Bank]] since 1998, and in 2015 became Western and Central Africa's regional director for the [[International Finance Corporation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessincameroon.com/economy/2212-5876-young-managers-inventive-and-competent-they-are-the-pride-of-cameroon-1st-part|title=Young, managers, inventive and competent, they are the pride of Cameroon|date=22 December 2015|work=Business in Cameroon|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Nations|first=United|title=Vera Songwe|url=https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/vera-songwe|access-date=2021-05-20|website=United Nations|language=en}}</ref> She is the first woman to head the U.N.s [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|Economic Commission for Africa]] (ECA) at the level of Under Secretary-General.<ref name="imf.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Podcasts/All-Podcasts/2018/11/16/vera-songwe-closing-tech-gender-gap|title=Vera Songwe: Closing the Tech Gender Gap|website=IMF|language=en|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>
| name = Vera Songwe
⚫
| image = Vera Songwe at the UK-Africa Investment Summit 2020 (49418317753) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Vera Songwe in 2020
| office1 = [[Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations|United Nations Under-Secretary-General]] and Executive Secretary of the [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa]] (UNECA)
| term_start1 = August 2017
| term_end1 = August 2022
| 1blankname1 = {{nowrap|Secretary-General}}
| 1namedata1 = {{ublist|[[António Guterres]]}}
| office2 = Regional Director of West and Central Africa for the [[International Finance Corporation]] (IFC)
| term_start2 = July 2015
| term_end2 = August 2017
| nationality = {{flag|Cameroon|name=Cameroon}}
| alma_mater = [[Université catholique de Louvain|Université Catholique de Louvain]] (PhD) (MA)<br/>[[University of Michigan]] (BA)
| doctoral_advisor = [[Herakles Polemarchakis]]
| occupation = Economist and Banker

}}
⚫
'''Vera Songwe''' is an economist and banking executive from [[Cameroon]] who worked for the [[World Bank]] from 1998 to 2015, and in 2015–2017 served as Western and Central Africa's regional director for the [[International Finance Corporation]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessincameroon.com/economy/2212-5876-young-managers-inventive-and-competent-they-are-the-pride-of-cameroon-1st-part|title=Young, managers, inventive and competent, they are the pride of Cameroon|date=22 December 2015|work=Business in Cameroon|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Nations|first=United|title=Vera Songwe|url=https://www.un.org/en/un-chronicle/vera-songwe|access-date=2021-05-20|website=United Nations|language=en}}</ref> She was the first woman to head the UN's [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|Economic Commission for Africa]] (ECA) at the level of Under-Secretary-General.<ref name="imf.org">{{Cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/News/Podcasts/All-Podcasts/2018/11/16/vera-songwe-closing-tech-gender-gap|title=Vera Songwe: Closing the Tech Gender Gap|website=IMF|language=en|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref> Songwe currently{{when|date=June 2023}} serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow at the [[Brookings Institution]]'s Africa Growth Initiative.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brookings.edu/project/africa-growth-initiative/ | title=Africa Growth Initiative }}</ref>


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Line 7: Line 25:


==Career==
==Career==
Songwe worked for the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis]], and simultaneously had a visiting professor's appointment at the [[University of Southern California]].
Songwe worked for the [[Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis]], and simultaneously had a visiting professor's appointment at the [[University of Southern California]].{{cn|date=June 2023}}


In 1998 Songwe joined the [[World Bank]], where she worked in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) unit, covering Morocco and Tunisia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/289690/economie/a-ifc-vera-songwe-passe-chevet-secteur-prive/|title=À IFC, Vera Songwe passe au chevet du secteur privé|last=Oury Diallo|first=Amadou|author2=Omer Mbadi|date=11 January 2016|publisher=JeuneAfrique.com|language=fr|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Over the subsequent years, she filled several roles in the PREM unit for East Asia and the Pacific region.<ref name=":0" /> In 2010, Songwe was part of the World Bank Group team that raised a historic US$49.3 billion dollars in concessional financing for the low income countries of the world as part of the [http://ida.worldbank.org/ International Development Association (IDA)] 16th replenishment.<ref name="Vera Songwe"/>
In 1998, Songwe joined the [[World Bank]], where she worked in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) unit, covering Morocco and Tunisia.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.jeuneafrique.com/mag/289690/economie/a-ifc-vera-songwe-passe-chevet-secteur-prive/|title=À IFC, Vera Songwe passe au chevet du secteur privé|last=Oury Diallo|first=Amadou|author2=Omer Mbadi|date=11 January 2016|publisher=JeuneAfrique.com|language=fr|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> Over the subsequent years, she filled several roles in the PREM unit for East Asia and the Pacific region.<ref name=":0" /> In 2010, Songwe was part of the World Bank Group team that raised a historic US$49.3 billion dollars in concessional financing for the low income countries of the world as part of the International Development Association (IDA) 16th replenishment.<ref name="Vera Songwe"/>


From 2011 to 2015 Songwe was Regional Director Africa covering West and Central Africa for the [[International Finance Corporation]] (IFC), and Country Director for Senegal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Mauritania.<ref>[[Mark Landler]] (July 31, 2014), [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/us/politics/african-leaders-coming-to-talk-business-may-also-be-pressed-on-rights.html African Leaders Coming to Talk Business May Also Be Pressed on Rights] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> Her main areas of interest are fiscal policy, innovative financing mechanisms for development, agriculture, energy and economic governance.<ref name="Vera Songwe">{{Cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/experts/vera-songwe/|title=Vera Songwe|date=2015-09-04|website=Brookings|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>
From 2011 to 2015, Songwe was Regional Director Africa covering West and Central Africa for the [[International Finance Corporation]] (IFC), and Country Director for Senegal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Mauritania.<ref>[[Mark Landler]] (July 31, 2014), [https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/01/us/politics/african-leaders-coming-to-talk-business-may-also-be-pressed-on-rights.html African Leaders Coming to Talk Business May Also Be Pressed on Rights] ''[[New York Times]]''.</ref> Her main areas of interest are fiscal policy, innovative financing mechanisms for development, agriculture, energy and economic governance.<ref name="Vera Songwe">{{Cite web|url=https://www.brookings.edu/experts/vera-songwe/|title=Vera Songwe|date=2015-09-04|website=Brookings|language=en-US|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>


In 2011, Songwe was involved in Africa 2.0, an initiative to bring young Africans together to aid in the continent's economic development.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/12/world/africa/africa-2-0-entrepreneurs/|title=Africa's emerging leaders launch 2020 growth vision|last=Sesay|first=Isha|author2=Teo Kermeliotis|date=12 October 2011|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> She is a scholar at the [[Brookings Institution]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d18e758a66cf48fcb5b14101cebb53a7/he-heads-africa-obamas-electricity-plan-jeopardy|title=Obama's top initiative to aid Africa is now in jeopardy|last=Lederman|first=Josh|date=23 July 2015|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> at its Africa Growth Initiative.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-to-announce-expansion-of-electrification-in-africa/2014/08/05/5b241554-1cab-11e4-82f9-2cd6fa8da5c4_story.html|title=Obama to announce expansion of electrification in Africa|last=Eilperin|first=Juliet|date=5 August 2014|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> [[Forbes]] listed her in 2013 as one of the "20 Young Power Women in Africa",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2013/12/04/the-20-young-power-women-in-africa-2013/#2715e4857a0b3320d3797231|title=The 20 Young Power Women In Africa 2013|last=Mfonobong|first=Nsehe|date=4 December 2013|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> and the following year the [[Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics]] chose her as one of their "African leaders of tomorrow".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessincameroon.com/public-management/2708-5582-after-the-world-bank-cameroonian-vera-songwe-becomes-the-ifc-resident-representative-to-senegal|title=After the World Bank, Cameroonian Vera Songwe becomes the IFC resident representative to Senegal|date=27 August 2015|work=Business in Cameroon|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> In 2015 she collaborated with the newly-founded [[Tony Elumelu|Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme]], which pledged $100 million for African start-up companies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/05/business/elumelu-entrepreneurship-program/|title=African entrepreneurs boosted by billionaire investor|last=Court|first=Alex|date=23 January 2015|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref>
In 2011, Songwe was involved in Africa 2.0, an initiative to bring young Africans together to aid in the continent's economic development.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/12/world/africa/africa-2-0-entrepreneurs/|title=Africa's emerging leaders launch 2020 growth vision|last=Sesay|first=Isha|author2=Teo Kermeliotis|date=12 October 2011|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> She is a scholar at the [[Brookings Institution]],<ref>{{cite news|url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/d18e758a66cf48fcb5b14101cebb53a7/he-heads-africa-obamas-electricity-plan-jeopardy|title=Obama's top initiative to aid Africa is now in jeopardy|last=Lederman|first=Josh|date=23 July 2015|agency=[[Associated Press]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> at its Africa Growth Initiative.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-to-announce-expansion-of-electrification-in-africa/2014/08/05/5b241554-1cab-11e4-82f9-2cd6fa8da5c4_story.html|title=Obama to announce expansion of electrification in Africa|last=Eilperin|first=Juliet|date=5 August 2014|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> ''[[Forbes]]'' listed her in 2013 as one of the "20 Young Power Women in Africa",<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/mfonobongnsehe/2013/12/04/the-20-young-power-women-in-africa-2013/#2715e4857a0b3320d3797231|title=The 20 Young Power Women In Africa 2013|last=Mfonobong|first=Nsehe|date=4 December 2013|work=[[Forbes]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> and the following year the [[Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics]] chose her as one of their "African leaders of tomorrow".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.businessincameroon.com/public-management/2708-5582-after-the-world-bank-cameroonian-vera-songwe-becomes-the-ifc-resident-representative-to-senegal|title=After the World Bank, Cameroonian Vera Songwe becomes the IFC resident representative to Senegal|date=27 August 2015|work=Business in Cameroon|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref> In 2015 she collaborated with the newly-founded [[Tony Elumelu|Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme]], which pledged $100 million for African start-up companies.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cnn.com/2014/12/05/business/elumelu-entrepreneurship-program/|title=African entrepreneurs boosted by billionaire investor|last=Court|first=Alex|date=23 January 2015|work=[[CNN]]|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref>


In July 2015 Songwe was appointed Regional Director of the IFC for West and Central Africa.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=http://en.starafrica.com/news/ifc-appoints-vera-songwe-regional-director-for-west-and-central-africa.html|title=IFC Appoints Vera Songwe Regional Director for West and Central Africa|date=1 July 2015|publisher=AfricaStar|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref>
In July 2015, Songwe was appointed Regional Director of the IFC for West and Central Africa.<ref name=":0">{{cite news|url=http://en.starafrica.com/news/ifc-appoints-vera-songwe-regional-director-for-west-and-central-africa.html|title=IFC Appoints Vera Songwe Regional Director for West and Central Africa|date=1 July 2015|publisher=AfricaStar|access-date=15 January 2016}}</ref>


Songwe took up her role as the Executive Secretary of the [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|Economic Commission for Africa]] (ECA) on 3 August 2017 at the level of Under Secretary-General.<ref name=":1"/>
Songwe took up her role as the Executive Secretary of the [[United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|Economic Commission for Africa]] (ECA) on 3 August 2017 at the level of Under-Secretary-General.<ref name=":1"/>


In June 2020, Songwe and others – [[Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences|Nobel laureates in Economics]], architects, chefs and leaders of international organizations – signed the [[International Appeal of 7 June 2020|appeal]] in favour of the [[purple economy]] (“Towards a cultural renaissance of the economy”), published in ''[[Corriere della Sera]]'',<ref name=corriere.it20200607>{{cite web|language=it|url=https://www.corriere.it/cultura/20_giugno_07/per-rinascimento-culturale-dell-economia-dcacbef2-a803-11ea-b900-84da2a1f22a9.shtml|title=Per un rinascimento culturale dell'economia|date=7 June 2020|access-date=22 June 2020|work=[[Corriere della Sera]]}}</ref> ''[[El País]]''<ref name=elpais.com20200607>{{cite web|language=es|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2020-06-07/por-un-renacimiento-cultural-de-la-economia-el-manifiesto-de-una-veintena-de-intelectuales-para-una-nueva-epoca.html|title=Por un renacimiento cultural de la economía|date=7 June 2020|access-date=22 June 2020|work=[[El País]]}}</ref> and ''[[Le Monde]]''.<ref name=lemonde.fr20200607>{{cite web|language=fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2020/06/07/en-depit-de-son-importance-croissante-le-culturel-n-a-pas-suffisamment-ete-pense-comme-un-ecosysteme_6042057_3232.html|title=En dépit de son importance croissante, le culturel n'a pas suffisamment été pensé comme un écosystème|date=7 June 2020|access-date=22 June 2020|work=[[Le Monde]]}}</ref>
In June 2020, Songwe and others – [[Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences|Nobel laureates in Economics]], architects, chefs and leaders of international organizations – signed the [[International Appeal of 7 June 2020|appeal]] in favour of the [[purple economy]] ("Towards a cultural renaissance of the economy"), published in ''[[Corriere della Sera]]'',<ref name=corriere.it20200607>{{cite web|language=it|url=https://www.corriere.it/cultura/20_giugno_07/per-rinascimento-culturale-dell-economia-dcacbef2-a803-11ea-b900-84da2a1f22a9.shtml|title=Per un rinascimento culturale dell'economia|date=7 June 2020|access-date=22 June 2020|work=[[Corriere della Sera]]}}</ref> ''[[El País]]''<ref name=elpais.com20200607>{{cite web|language=es|url=https://elpais.com/cultura/2020-06-07/por-un-renacimiento-cultural-de-la-economia-el-manifiesto-de-una-veintena-de-intelectuales-para-una-nueva-epoca.html|title=Por un renacimiento cultural de la economía|date=7 June 2020|access-date=22 June 2020|work=[[El País]]}}</ref> and ''[[Le Monde]]''.<ref name=lemonde.fr20200607>{{cite web|language=fr|url=https://www.lemonde.fr/idees/article/2020/06/07/en-depit-de-son-importance-croissante-le-culturel-n-a-pas-suffisamment-ete-pense-comme-un-ecosysteme_6042057_3232.html|title=En dépit de son importance croissante, le culturel n'a pas suffisamment été pensé comme un écosystème|date=7 June 2020|access-date=22 June 2020|work=[[Le Monde]]}}</ref>

On 22 August 2022, Songewe announced her resignation from UNECA.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://uneca.org/stories/vera-songwe-steps-down-as-eca-executive-secretary | title=Vera Songwe steps down as ECA Executive Secretary &#124; United Nations Economic Commission for Africa }}</ref>


==Other activities==
==Other activities==
Songwe serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow at the [[Brookings Institution]]’s [https://www.brookings.edu/project/africa-growth-initiative/ Africa Growth Initiative]. She is also a member of the African Union Institutional reform team under the direction of the [[President of Rwanda]], [[Paul Kagame]], and a board member of the African Leadership Network, the [[Mo Ibrahim Foundation]],<ref name=":1" /> and ID4Africa.<ref>[https://id4africa.com/advisory-board/ Advisory Board] ID4Africa.</ref>
She is also a member of the African Union Institutional reform team under the direction of the [[President of Rwanda]], [[Paul Kagame]], and a board member of the African Leadership Network, the [[Mo Ibrahim Foundation]],<ref name=":1" /> and ID4Africa.<ref>[https://id4africa.com/advisory-board/ Advisory Board] ID4Africa.</ref>


In early 2021, Songwe was appointed by the [[G20]] to the High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on financing the global commons for pandemic preparedness and response, co-chaired by [[Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala]], [[Tharman Shanmugaratnam]] and [[Lawrence Summers]].<ref>[https://www.mef.gov.it/en/ufficio-stampa/comunicati/2021/The-G20-establishes-a-High-Level-Independent-Panel-on-financing-the-Global-Commons-for-Pandemic-Preparedness-and-Response-00001/ Ministry of Economy and FinanceThe G20 establishes a High Level Independent Panel on financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response] [[Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy)|Ministry of Economy and Finance]], press release of January 27, 2021.</ref>
In early 2021, Songwe was appointed by the [[G20]] to the High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on financing the global commons for pandemic preparedness and response, co-chaired by [[Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala]], [[Tharman Shanmugaratnam]] and [[Lawrence Summers]].<ref>[https://www.mef.gov.it/en/ufficio-stampa/comunicati/2021/The-G20-establishes-a-High-Level-Independent-Panel-on-financing-the-Global-Commons-for-Pandemic-Preparedness-and-Response-00001/ Ministry of Economy and FinanceThe G20 establishes a High Level Independent Panel on financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response] [[Ministry of Economy and Finance (Italy)|Ministry of Economy and Finance]], press release of January 27, 2021.</ref>


== Speeches ==
==Speeches==
⚫
# Statement by the Executive Secretary at the Fourth Conference of Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration, Lusaka, Zambia, 07 December 2017<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.uneca.org/pages/speeches-0|title=Speeches {{!}} United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|website=www.uneca.org|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>
⚫
# Statement by the Executive Secretary at the opening of the African Economic Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 04 December 2017<ref name=":2" />
⚫
# Statement by the Executive Secretary at the opening of the Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA-2017), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14 November 2017<ref name=":2" />
⚫
# Statement by Dr. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA at the Opening Session of the 18th Executive Council Meeting of the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://au.int/en/speeches/20180319/statement-dr-vera-songwe-united-nations-under-secretary-general-and-executive|title=Statement by Dr. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA at the Opening Session of the 18th Executive Council Meeting of the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area {{!}} African Union|website=au.int|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>
⚫
# Closing the Tech Gender Gap<ref name="imf.org"/>


⚫
==Publications==
⚫
# Statement by the Executive Secretary at the Fourth Conference of Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration - Lusaka, Zambia, 07 December 2017 <ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.uneca.org/pages/speeches-0|title=Speeches {{!}} United Nations Economic Commission for Africa|website=www.uneca.org|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>
⚫
# "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation"<ref>{{Cite journal|date=June 2018|title=Statement by Vera Songwe: theme: "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation": draft|url=http://repository.uneca.org/handle/10855/24475}}</ref>
⚫
#Statement by the Executive Secretary at the opening of the African Economic Conference, Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 04 December 2017 <ref name=":2" />
⚫
#Statement by the Executive Secretary at the opening of  the Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA-2017) Addis Ababa Ethiopia, 14 November 2017 <ref name=":2" />
⚫
#Statement by Dr. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA at the Opening Session of the 18th Executive Council Meeting of the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://au.int/en/speeches/20180319/statement-dr-vera-songwe-united-nations-under-secretary-general-and-executive|title=Statement by Dr. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA at the Opening Session of the 18th Executive Council Meeting of the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area {{!}} African Union|website=au.int|access-date=2019-04-17}}</ref>
⚫
#Closing the Tech Gender Gap<ref name="imf.org"/>

⚫
== Publications ==

⚫
# “Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation”<ref>{{Cite journal|date=June 2018|title=Statement by Vera Songwe: theme: "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation": draft|url=http://repository.uneca.org/handle/10855/24475}}</ref>


== Featured articles ==
== Featured articles ==

# [https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2019/03/22/africa-finance-ministers-conference-discusses-importance-of-digital-economy-to-continent/ Africa Finance Ministers conference discusses importance of digital economy to continent]
# [https://www.ghanabusinessnews.com/2019/03/22/africa-finance-ministers-conference-discusses-importance-of-digital-economy-to-continent/ Africa Finance Ministers conference discusses importance of digital economy to continent]
# [https://www.afrikmag.com/la-mauvaise-gouvernance-tue-les-jeunes-africains-selon-la-fondation-mo-ibrahim/ La mauvaise gouvernance tue les jeunes Africains selon la Fondation Mo Ibrahim]
# [https://www.afrikmag.com/la-mauvaise-gouvernance-tue-les-jeunes-africains-selon-la-fondation-mo-ibrahim/ La mauvaise gouvernance tue les jeunes Africains selon la Fondation Mo Ibrahim]
Line 51: Line 68:
# [http://en.rfi.fr/africa/20190407-it-s-poor-governance-not-migration-killing-africa-s-youths-mo-ibrahim-forum-weekend Poor governance is killing Africa’s young people - Mo Ibrahim Foundation]
# [http://en.rfi.fr/africa/20190407-it-s-poor-governance-not-migration-killing-africa-s-youths-mo-ibrahim-forum-weekend Poor governance is killing Africa’s young people - Mo Ibrahim Foundation]
# [https://guardian.ng/business-services/africa-fintech-association-launched-in-morocco/ Africa Fintech association launched in Morocco]
# [https://guardian.ng/business-services/africa-fintech-association-launched-in-morocco/ Africa Fintech association launched in Morocco]
# [https://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/NewsCoverageFiles/pdf_eco_dev_n_118.pdf Économie et dévelopement]
# [https://web.archive.org/web/20190417195913if_/https://www.uneca.org/sites/default/files/NewsCoverageFiles/pdf_eco_dev_n_118.pdf Économie et développement]
# [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/04/WS5ca506f2a3104842260b44c7.html Africa's free trade area comes into force as Gambia ratification]
# [http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201904/04/WS5ca506f2a3104842260b44c7.html Africa's free trade area comes into force as Gambia ratification]
# [http://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/gambia-ratifies-afcfta-putting-it-into-motion/ Gambia ratifies AfCFTA, putting it into motion]
# [http://www.sabcnews.com/sabcnews/gambia-ratifies-afcfta-putting-it-into-motion/ Gambia ratifies AfCFTA, putting it into motion]
# [https://afriqueactudaily.com/index.php/2019/04/02/les-gouvernements-africains-pries-dadopter-la-transformation-numerique/ Les gouvernements africains priés d’adopter la transformation numérique]
# [https://afriqueactudaily.com/index.php/2019/04/02/les-gouvernements-africains-pries-dadopter-la-transformation-numerique/ Les gouvernements africains priés d’adopter la transformation numérique]
#Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2014-10-01|title=Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries|journal=Food Policy|language=en|volume=48|pages=76–87|doi=10.1016/j.foodpol.2014.03.003|issn=0306-9192|doi-access=free|last1=Deininger |first1=Klaus |last2=Hilhorst |first2=Thea |last3=Songwe |first3=Vera }}</ref>
# Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2014-10-01|title=Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries|journal=Food Policy|language=en|volume=48|pages=76–87|doi=10.1016/j.foodpol.2014.03.003|issn=0306-9192|doi-access=free|last1=Deininger |first1=Klaus |last2=Hilhorst |first2=Thea |last3=Songwe |first3=Vera }}</ref>

==External links==
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{twitter|SongweVera}}


==References==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist|30em}}


{{authority control}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Songwe, Vera}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Songwe, Vera}}
Line 71: Line 92:
[[Category:Cameroonian women economists]]
[[Category:Cameroonian women economists]]
[[Category:University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts alumni]]
[[Category:Wiki Loves Women Writing Contest]]
[[Category:21st-century Cameroonian people]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:21st-century Cameroonian women]]
[[Category:21st-century economists]]

Latest revision as of 23:33, 13 November 2024

Vera Songwe
Vera Songwe in 2020
United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA)
In office
August 2017 – August 2022
Secretary-General
Regional Director of West and Central Africa for the International Finance Corporation (IFC)
In office
July 2015 – August 2017
Personal details
Nationality Cameroon
Alma materUniversité Catholique de Louvain (PhD) (MA)
University of Michigan (BA)
OccupationEconomist and Banker

Vera Songwe is an economist and banking executive from Cameroon who worked for the World Bank from 1998 to 2015, and in 2015–2017 served as Western and Central Africa's regional director for the International Finance Corporation.[1][2] She was the first woman to head the UN's Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) at the level of Under-Secretary-General.[3] Songwe currently[when?] serves as a non-resident Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution's Africa Growth Initiative.[4]

Early life and education

[edit]

Songwe holds a PhD in Mathematical Economics from the Center for Operations Research and Econometrics and a Master of Arts in Law and Economics and a Diplôme d’études approfondies in Economic Science and Politics from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Michigan.[5]

Career

[edit]

Songwe worked for the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, and simultaneously had a visiting professor's appointment at the University of Southern California.[citation needed]

In 1998, Songwe joined the World Bank, where she worked in the Poverty Reduction and Economic Management (PREM) unit, covering Morocco and Tunisia.[6][7] Over the subsequent years, she filled several roles in the PREM unit for East Asia and the Pacific region.[7] In 2010, Songwe was part of the World Bank Group team that raised a historic US$49.3 billion dollars in concessional financing for the low income countries of the world as part of the International Development Association (IDA) 16th replenishment.[8]

From 2011 to 2015, Songwe was Regional Director Africa covering West and Central Africa for the International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Country Director for Senegal, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau, and Mauritania.[9] Her main areas of interest are fiscal policy, innovative financing mechanisms for development, agriculture, energy and economic governance.[8]

In 2011, Songwe was involved in Africa 2.0, an initiative to bring young Africans together to aid in the continent's economic development.[10] She is a scholar at the Brookings Institution,[11] at its Africa Growth Initiative.[12] Forbes listed her in 2013 as one of the "20 Young Power Women in Africa",[13] and the following year the Institut Choiseul for International Politics and Geoeconomics chose her as one of their "African leaders of tomorrow".[14] In 2015 she collaborated with the newly-founded Tony Elumelu Entrepreneurship Programme, which pledged $100 million for African start-up companies.[15]

In July 2015, Songwe was appointed Regional Director of the IFC for West and Central Africa.[7]

Songwe took up her role as the Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) on 3 August 2017 at the level of Under-Secretary-General.[5]

In June 2020, Songwe and others – Nobel laureates in Economics, architects, chefs and leaders of international organizations – signed the appeal in favour of the purple economy ("Towards a cultural renaissance of the economy"), published in Corriere della Sera,[16] El País[17] and Le Monde.[18]

On 22 August 2022, Songewe announced her resignation from UNECA.[19]

Other activities

[edit]

She is also a member of the African Union Institutional reform team under the direction of the President of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, and a board member of the African Leadership Network, the Mo Ibrahim Foundation,[5] and ID4Africa.[20]

In early 2021, Songwe was appointed by the G20 to the High Level Independent Panel (HLIP) on financing the global commons for pandemic preparedness and response, co-chaired by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Tharman Shanmugaratnam and Lawrence Summers.[21]

Speeches

[edit]
  1. Statement by the Executive Secretary at the Fourth Conference of Ministers Responsible for Civil Registration, Lusaka, Zambia, 07 December 2017[22]
  2. Statement by the Executive Secretary at the opening of the African Economic Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 04 December 2017[22]
  3. Statement by the Executive Secretary at the opening of the Conference on Land Policy in Africa (CLPA-2017), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 14 November 2017[22]
  4. Statement by Dr. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA at the Opening Session of the 18th Executive Council Meeting of the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area[23]
  5. Closing the Tech Gender Gap[3]

Publications

[edit]
  1. "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation"[24]
[edit]
  1. Africa Finance Ministers conference discusses importance of digital economy to continent
  2. La mauvaise gouvernance tue les jeunes Africains selon la Fondation Mo Ibrahim
  3. Strengthening National Accounts, SDGs And Employment At The Heart Of ECA-Egypt Bilateral Meeting
  4. Mo Ibrahim: African migrations are an opportunity, not a crisis
  5. Concerns have emerged as Africa nations move to ratify the biggest free trade agreement, African Continental Free Trade Agreement in May 2019.
  6. Lack of domestic revenue crippling African economies
  7. Half of the world’s youth will be African
  8. Africa urged to speed up digitization
  9. Conferência discute investimentos na economia digital
  10. Poor governance is killing Africa’s young people - Mo Ibrahim Foundation
  11. Africa Fintech association launched in Morocco
  12. Économie et développement
  13. Africa's free trade area comes into force as Gambia ratification
  14. Gambia ratifies AfCFTA, putting it into motion
  15. Les gouvernements africains priés d’adopter la transformation numérique
  16. Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries[25]
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Vera Songwe.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Young, managers, inventive and competent, they are the pride of Cameroon". Business in Cameroon. 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  2. ^ Nations, United. "Vera Songwe". United Nations. Retrieved 20 May 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Vera Songwe: Closing the Tech Gender Gap". IMF. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Africa Growth Initiative".
  5. ^ a b c "Biography | United Nations Economic Commission for Africa". www.uneca.org. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  6. ^ Oury Diallo, Amadou; Omer Mbadi (11 January 2016). "À IFC, Vera Songwe passe au chevet du secteur privé" (in French). JeuneAfrique.com. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  7. ^ a b c "IFC Appoints Vera Songwe Regional Director for West and Central Africa". AfricaStar. 1 July 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  8. ^ a b "Vera Songwe". Brookings. 4 September 2015. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  9. ^ Mark Landler (July 31, 2014), African Leaders Coming to Talk Business May Also Be Pressed on Rights New York Times.
  10. ^ Sesay, Isha; Teo Kermeliotis (12 October 2011). "Africa's emerging leaders launch 2020 growth vision". CNN. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  11. ^ Lederman, Josh (23 July 2015). "Obama's top initiative to aid Africa is now in jeopardy". Associated Press. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  12. ^ Eilperin, Juliet (5 August 2014). "Obama to announce expansion of electrification in Africa". The Washington Post. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  13. ^ Mfonobong, Nsehe (4 December 2013). "The 20 Young Power Women In Africa 2013". Forbes. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  14. ^ "After the World Bank, Cameroonian Vera Songwe becomes the IFC resident representative to Senegal". Business in Cameroon. 27 August 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  15. ^ Court, Alex (23 January 2015). "African entrepreneurs boosted by billionaire investor". CNN. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
  16. ^ "Per un rinascimento culturale dell'economia". Corriere della Sera (in Italian). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  17. ^ "Por un renacimiento cultural de la economía". El País (in Spanish). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  18. ^ "En dépit de son importance croissante, le culturel n'a pas suffisamment été pensé comme un écosystème". Le Monde (in French). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  19. ^ "Vera Songwe steps down as ECA Executive Secretary | United Nations Economic Commission for Africa".
  20. ^ Advisory Board ID4Africa.
  21. ^ Ministry of Economy and FinanceThe G20 establishes a High Level Independent Panel on financing the Global Commons for Pandemic Preparedness and Response Ministry of Economy and Finance, press release of January 27, 2021.
  22. ^ a b c "Speeches | United Nations Economic Commission for Africa". www.uneca.org. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  23. ^ "Statement by Dr. Vera Songwe, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the UNECA at the Opening Session of the 18th Executive Council Meeting of the Extraordinary Summit on the African Continental Free Trade Area | African Union". au.int. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  24. ^ "Statement by Vera Songwe: theme: "Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa's Transformation": draft". June 2018. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  25. ^ Deininger, Klaus; Hilhorst, Thea; Songwe, Vera (1 October 2014). "Identifying and addressing land governance constraints to support intensification and land market operation: Evidence from 10 African countries". Food Policy. 48: 76–87. doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2014.03.003. ISSN 0306-9192.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Vera_Songwe&oldid=1257243479"