Elhadj As Sy

Elhadj As Sy is the Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), appointed on 1 August 2014.

Sy studied Arts and Human Sciences at 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 of Vienna. He was also awarded a post graduate diploma in Education from the École normale supérieure in Dakar.

Sy speaks English, French and German. He currently resides in Geneva.

From 1988 to 1997, Sy served as Director of Health and Development Programmes with Environment and Development Action in the Third World in Dakar, Senegal. He later worked with The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as its Africa Regional Director and as Director of Operational Partnerships and Country Support in Geneva. Mr. Sy has also held the position of UNAIDS Representative in New York and Director of the New York Liaison Office.

From 2005 to 2008, Sy was Director, HIV/AIDS Practice with the United Nations Development Programme in New York City and, before joining the IFRC in 2014, he worked as Director of Partnerships and Resource Development for UNICEF. He has also served as UNICEF Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa and Global Emergency Coordinator for the Horn of Africa.

Sy is a member of the Independent Oversight and Advisory Committee for the WHO Health Emergencies Programme. In January 2016, he was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the High-level Advisory Group for Every Woman Every Child. In June 2016, Ban also appointed him to the Global Health Crises Task Force, jointly chaired by Jan Eliasson, Jim Yong Kim, Margaret Chan and Helen Clark.

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