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The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has appointed Ms. Diene Keita as its new Executive Director, marking a significant moment for the global agency tasked with advancing reproductive health, rights and gender equality. The appointment was confirmed on 29 August 2025 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres, with Ms. Keita assuming the role at the rank of United Nations Under-Secretary-General.
A national of Guinea, Ms. Keita becomes the sixth Executive Director in UNFPA’s history. She has been serving as Acting Executive Director since mid-July 2025 and was previously the organisation’s Deputy Executive Director for Programmes. Her appointment follows more than three decades of dedicated service in international development, governance and diplomacy.
Ms. Keita’s career combines high-level government service with extensive leadership in the United Nations system. She previously served as Minister of Cooperation and African Integration in Guinea, as well as United Nations Resident Coordinator in Mauritania, Benin and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Within UNFPA, she has held key positions, including country representative in Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she managed two of the Fund’s largest and most complex programmes.
Her journey with the United Nations began in 1990 at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Since then, she has consistently championed initiatives that place women and young people at the centre of development. Empowering women, promoting gender equality, addressing gender-based violence and advancing sexual and reproductive health rights remain at the heart of her mission.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms. Keita expressed gratitude and outlined her vision for UNFPA’s future. “I am deeply honoured to lead UNFPA at this pivotal moment,” she 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.”
Academically, Ms. Keita is well-grounded in international law, economics and development. 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. She is fluent in English, French and Italian.
Her appointment comes at a crucial time, as the global community continues to face demographic changes, humanitarian crises and the need to reinforce women’s rights and health services worldwide. With Ms. Keita at the helm, UNFPA is expected to further strengthen its role as a key advocate for reproductive health and gender equality in both stable and crisis-affected contexts.