Secretary-General appoints Savina Ammassari of Brazil United Nations Resident Coordinator in Gabon

On 2 July, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Savina Ammassari of Brazil as the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Gabon, with the host Government’s approval.

Ms. Ammassari brings to the position nearly 30 years of international development experience acquired across more than 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia, both at the United Nations and externally. Within the Organization, she most recently served as Country Director in Cameroon for the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) and earlier as chief technical adviser to governments, civil society and development partners in India, Myanmar, and Cambodia. She also held leadership positions with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the World Bank.

Ms. Ammassari has also worked with non-government organizations, academia, and the private sector on assignments in multiple developing countries focused on health, education, migration, gender, governance, human rights, community participation and communication. She is the author of several peer-reviewed articles, policy papers, and a book on migration and development.

Ms. Ammassari holds a doctorate in development studies from Sussex University in the United Kingdom and a master’s degree in political science from the University of Rome “La Sapienza” in Italy.

She is fluent in English, French, German, and Italian.