Fatou Haidara

Managing Director, UNIDO

       Fatou Haidara is UNIDO’s Managing Director, Policy and Programme Support and Director of UNIDO’s Department of Human Resources Management. Ms. Haidara mobilized the UNIDO team and also coordinated with the Government of Peru the historical 15th General Conference of UNIDO, which culminated with the adoption of the landmark Lima Declaration. Before joining UNIDO, she served the Government of Mali in several ministerial positions for eight years. In these capacities, she participated actively in strategic negotiations between the Government of Mali and Bretton Woods institutions, as well as other development partners.

       She led many ministerial delegations to international forums, in particular the first World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference in Seattle. She was awarded by the President of Mali the title of Commandeur de l’ordre national du Mali. She also worked as Coordinator for a regional programme in support of women entrepreneurs funded by ILO and UNDP covering Mali, Côte d’Ivoire and Burkina Faso before taking up the call to serve in her national Government.