Governing Council members and observers at the 9th Session of the Council in Istanbul in January 2025.
Governance
The UN Technology Bank is governed by a 13-member Council comprised of independent experts in science, technology and innovation and development cooperation, appointed by the Secretary-General. Council Members serve in their individual professional capacities for three-year terms. They meet annually to evaluate work carried out by the organization and to approve the budget for the next year. The UN Technology Bank reports annually to the General Assembly.
Managing Director
Mr. Deodat Maharaj
Mr. Deodat Maharaj is the new Managing Director of the UN Technology Bank for Least Developed Countries. He assumes this role having worked across the international sphere including as Deputy Secretary General of the Commonwealth; Executive Director of the Caribbean Export Development Agency; at the United Nations Development Programme and in development banking.
He has dedicated his career to advancing development in poor and vulnerable countries. He has lived and worked in developing countries for much of his career including Tanzania, Mozambique, Guyana, Suriname, and Barbados. At Caribbean Export, he helped businesses pursue concerted efforts to boost their digitalization, technology, and innovation capacities. At the Commonwealth, he led the organisation’s development agenda with a strong focus on LDCs and vulnerable countries. A graduate of the University of London, University of the West Indies, Florida State University and Staffordshire University his academic qualifications include a BSc; Government; Postgraduate Diploma, International Relations; MSc., International Affairs; Bachelor of Laws; and Postgraduate Legal Practice Certificate. Mr. Deodat Maharaj is also an Attorney-at-Law.
Council Members
The UN Technology Bank is governed by a 13-member Council appointed by the Secretary General. Council Members meet annually to evaluate work carried out by the UN Technology Bank and to approve the budget for the following year.
Council Documents
View the Council Documents here
H.E. Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa
His Excellency Mr. Lok Bahadur Thapa is the Permanent Representative of Nepal to the United Nations since 01 September 2023.
Mr. Thapa has served in several positions during his diplomatic career spanning more than three decades after joining the Foreign Service of Nepal in 1990.
He was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Nepal to the Kingdom of Belgium from 2016 to 2020, where he was concurrently accredited to the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. He was also the Head of Mission to the European Union and Permanent Representative of Nepal to the Organization for the Prohibition of the Chemical Weapons (OPCW), World Customs Organization (WCO), Common Fund for Commodities (CFC), and Center for the Promotion of Products from Developing Countries (CBI) while in Brussels.
Lately, he was serving as the Head of the North-East Asia Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Previously, he headed the South-East Asia Division and the Department of Passports and has worked in other divisions of the Ministry.
He was assigned to diplomatic positions in Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, Embassy of Nepal in Canberra, and Embassy of Nepal in Riyadh during his career.
Mr. Thapa holds a Masters in Diplomacy from Lancaster University, UK; and Masters in Public Administration from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
He is married to Mrs. Nanu Thapa and has two sons. He was born in 1970 in Tanahun district of Nepal.
H.E. Mr. Lamin B. Dibba
The Permanent Representative of the Gambia to the United Nations, Mr. Lamin B. Dibba, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the 16 September 2022.
Prior to his appointment, Mr. Dibba served as the Gambia’s Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Natural Resources from 2017 to 2022. He also held positions in several non-governmental organizations, as the National Adviser to SOS Children’s Villages (Gambia) from 2013 to 2017, the Executive Director of the Gambia Women’s Finance Association from 2012 to 2013 and the National Coordinator for Action for Children from 2011 to 2012.
From 2006 to 2011, he was the Executive Director of the Gambia’s Non-Governmental Organization Affairs Agency, also serving as its acting Executive Director from 2004 to 2006 and as a Programme Officer within the Agency from 2002 to 2003.
Mr. Dibba holds a Master of Science in urban and regional studies from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Arts in geography from Saint Mary’s University in Canada.
Mr. Taffere Tesfachew
Mr. Taffere Tesfachew, PhD was the Acting Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least developed Countries from January 2022 until December 2023. Until December 2021, he was a Senior Advisor at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI). Prior to joining the TBI, he was a staff member of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) for nearly twenty-eight years working in different capacities, including Chief of Staff, Spokesperson and Director of the Division on Africa and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He is a member of the UN Committee for Development Policy (UN-CDP) and The African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Industrial Development Advisory Council.
Mr. Tesfachew is an economist and holds an MA degree in Economics from the University of Lancaster, UK, and an MPhil and a PhD from the Institute of Development Studies (IDS), University of Sussex, UK. He has published on a range of topics, including: “Technological Learning and Industrialization in Ethiopia”; “The role of policy in promoting enterprise learning during early industrialization”; “The Journey of Ethiopian Airlines: Technological Learning and Industrialization in Ethiopia”; “Industrial Parks in Ethiopia: Newcomer advantages”; “Learning to catch-up in Africa”; “Special Economic Zones and export-led growth: an industrial policy imperative”, among others.
Prof. Erika Kraemer-Mbula
Ms. Kraemer-Mbula is a Professor of Economics and is currently the Chair holder of the DSI/NRF Trilateral Research Chair in Transformative Innovation, the 4IR & Sustainable Development, the Fourth Industrial Revolution and Sustainable Development, based at the College of Business and Economics (University of Johannesburg) and in partnership with ACTS and SPRU. Her research unit at the University of Johannesburg is formed by a dynamic team of national and international researchers that engages in cutting-edge research; builds the capacity of younger scholars to help develop the next generation of African thinkers leading transformative change; and engages with policy makers, key stakeholders and research partners, to influence policy change. Trained as an Economist, she holds a Masters in Science and Technology Policy by the Science and Policy Research Unit (University of Sussex), and a doctorate in Development Studies from the University of Oxford.
Her work focuses on alternative development paths for African economies. She specializes in the analysis of innovation systems in connection to equitable development and inclusive development and has done pioneering work on innovation in the African informal sector.
Ms. Kraemer-Mbula has undertaken a range of advisory assignments with international institutions (such as IDRC, TWAS, UNIDO, UNESCO, UNICEF, among others). Her experience in this area includes the evaluation of strategic innovation-related programmes of international donor organisations, designing and reviewing regional and national STI policies, as well as supporting the implementation of innovation strategies in African countries. In South Africa, she is currently an appointed member of the Advisory Committee of the Centre for Science, Technology, and Innovation Indicators (CeSTII), various Reference Groups at the National Advisory Council on Innovation (NACI), and a member of the Ministerial Advisory Committee on Post-Covid socio-economic recovery (for the Department of Science and Innovation). She is also a member of several research networks on innovation and development – such President of Globelics, advisory board member of Africalics and Steering Committee member of OpenAIR.
Mr. Moctar Yedaly
Mr. Moctar Yedaly, with over 25 years of expertise, is a prominent figure in international policy and operational management. His rich academic background includes two engineering degrees, an MBA, and fluency in English, French, Russian, and Arabic.
Currently, as the Africa Region Director for The Global Forum for Cyber Expertise (GFCE) and the vice chair of the council for the UN Technology Bank for LDCs, Mr. Yedaly is instrumental in developing cyber capacity strategies and establishing key relationships across Africa. His efforts are crucial in launching the GFCE Africa hub and shaping regional cyber policies.
Previously, Mr. Yedaly has made significant strides as Mauritania's Minister of Digital Transformation and Transport and Infrastructure, and as Director in the African Union Commission's Department of Infrastructure and Energy. There, he led ICT and cybersecurity initiatives aligned with global directives like the SDGs and Agenda 2063.
Academically, Mr. Yedaly holds a master’s in electrical engineering and Telecoms and Computers, an MBA in International Commerce, and is pursuing a Ph.D. in Law, demonstrating his dedication to lifelong learning.
Enhanced by training in strategic thinking and cyber risk management, and aided by his multilingual abilities, Mr. Yedaly excels in international engagements. He is a key figure in digital transformation and cybersecurity, particularly in Africa, embodying a unique fusion of technical expertise and global leadership
H.E. Ms. Agnes Mary Chimbiri Molande
Her Excellency Dr. Agnes Mary Chimbiri-Molande is the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations (U.N.) in New York, United States of America (U.S.A.). She was appointed the Permanent Representative in June 2021 by His Excellency, the President of the Republic of Malawi, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera.
Agnes Chimbiri-Molande has about 15 years of experience in the United Nations. Most recently, she served for over six years as Portfolio Manager for Governance for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Malawi from 2015 to 2021, after serving for eight years as Assistant Resident Representative for Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Achievement for UNDP in Malawi from 2008 to 2015.
Throughout her tenure with UNDP, Agnes Chimbiri-Molande engaged widely in policy development and implementation, advocacy, and programme management across different governance spheres. She also extensively engaged in legal reforms to promote good governance in Malawi. Under her leadership in UNDP Malawi’s Governance Portfolio, she created three data management platforms, an early warning system on conflict prevention; a monitoring system on sexual and gender-based violence; and a monitoring system on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) achievement, helping the UN and Malawi Government to make informed policy decisions in addressing conflicts, violence against women and girls, and poverty.
Agnes Chimbiri-Molande has worked with a number of UN agencies in delivering various development interventions including reforming the UN System in Malawi. While working with the Government, University of Malawi and UNDP, she also worked with the following UN agencies: UNFPA, UNICEF, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNCDF, FAO and UN Women.
Before joining the UN, Agnes Chimbiri-Molande served as Director of the Centre for Reproductive Health of the College of Medicine under University of Malawi between 2003 and 2007, where she provided oversight in social research, policy and programmatic analysis; preparation and presentation of policy papers to Government and other higher learning institutions in Malawi and globally. Her leadership contributed towards making the College of Medicine a global partner and champion on social medicine research and programming.
Previously, Agnes Chimbiri-Molande worked for World Bank as Community and NGO Liaison Officer in Malawi in 1996. She began her career as a civil servant in the Government of Malawi in 1984, working as a Teacher under Ministry of Education until 1985; Personal Assistant to the Secretary to the President and Cabinet from 1986 to 1988, and Head of Research and Planning Unit under Ministry of Information from 1989 to 1995.
She holds a Doctorate in Social Demography (PhD) from University of Waikato in New Zealand (2000); a Master of Arts in International Affairs from University of Ohio in U.S.A. (1987); and a Bachelor of Arts in Education from University of Malawi (1984). She also holds a Diploma in Gender Studies from University of Waikato (1998)
H.E. Ms. Sophia Tesfamariam
The Permanent Representative of Eritrea to the United Nations presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 5 September 2019.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Tesfamariam was Executive Director of the United States Foundation for the Horn of Africa in Washington, D.C., beginning in 2005. Between 1998 and 2005 she worked in the administration division of the Boeing Company in Leesburg, Virginia, United States. She was a credentialing specialist for PHP Healthcare in Reston, Virginia, from 1989 until 1998.
Ms. Tesfamariam was co-editor of Diaspora, a monthly digital and print magazine providing news and analysis tailored to the global African diaspora communities with a focus on women and youth in development. She has considerable global experience in social development, having conducted more than 100 seminars and workshops for women and young people in the United States, Europe and Africa.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in management from Western International University in Phoenix, Arizona, in the United States.
H.E. Ms. Doma Tshering
Ms. Doma Tshering served as the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Bhutan to the United Nations from September 2017 to October 2022. She was concurrently accredited as Ambassador to Canada, and Bhutan’s first Ambassador to Brazil. During her tenure as Ambassador, Permanent Representative, she spearheaded Bhutan’s engagements at the UN on the process of graduation from Least Developed Country status, and was actively engaged on issues pertaining to both mountainous and to landlocked developing countries (LLDCs). Ambassador Tshering was co-facillitator for intergovernmental negotiations of the political declaration of the midterm review of the implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action for LLDCs in 2019. She also served as a member of the Board of Advisors to the 76th President of the General Assembly on LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS from 2021-2022. During her tenure, Bhutan was the first country to sign a Rapid Deployment Level Agreement with the United Nations, marking the broadening and deepening of Bhutan’s engagement and contributions to UN peacekeeping.
During her diplomatic career spanning over thirty years, she served in various posts at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at Bhutan’s diplomatic missions in New York and Geneva. Her previous assignments include Head of the Multilateral Department, Chief of the Policy Planning Division, and Deputy Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Bhutan to the United Nations in Geneva, among other roles.
She has represented the Royal Government at a number of UN and other intergovernmental fora on matters related to climate change, sustainable development, least developed and landlocked developing countries, human rights, humanitarian issues, international peace and security.
She was awarded the Royal Civil Service Gold Medal in 2021 and Silver Medal in 2013.
Ms. Tshering holds a bachelor’s degree from Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota (1990), and obtained a post-graduate degree in public administration from the Ecole Nationale d’Administration in Paris (2004.)
Prof. Hasan Mandal
Prof. Dr. Hasan MANDAL, born in Eskişehir, Türkiye in 1965, received his education at Yunusemre Primary School, Atatürk Secondary School and Vocational High School on Engines and Motors. Prof. Mandal received his bachelor’s degree from the Department of Metallurgical Engineering at Middle East Technical University in Ankara as an honour student in 1987, and his Ph.D. degree from Newcastle University, United Kingdom in 1992. He completed his post-doctoral studies at Newcastle University, United Kingdom during 1992-1994, and at Karlsruhe University, Germany in 1997-1998.
In 1994, his academic career initiated as Assistant Professor in the Department of Ceramic Engineering at Anadolu University, receiving an Associate Professor status in 1996 and tenured Professor status in 2001. Prof. Mandal has more than 140 published studies, 75 of them in SCI journals, an h-index of 23 with over 1700 citations, and 6 international patents. Prof. Mandal has been granted various national and international awards, including the The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Türkiye (TUBITAK) Science Award.
Between the years 2011-2015, Prof. Mandal served as the Director of Research and Graduate Policies (RGP) during which he was appointed as Vice Rector of Sabancı University in January 2012. He also served as the President of the Global Engineering Deans Council, the first Vice President of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies, the President of the European Ceramic Society, Vice President of Anadolu University and the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture of Anadolu University, the Chairperson of Turkish Engineering Deans Council, Board Member in both ATAP and GOSP Technoparks, Board Member in Inovent Innovative Ventures, Board Member in BOREN and Executive Board Member at TUBITAK’s Technology Transfer Mechanisms Support Group (TEMEG) and TUBITAK’s Engineering Research Group (MAG) currently he is a member of the Turkish Academy of Sciences (TÜBA), World Academy of Ceramics (WAC) and Academia Europaea (AE), the UN Technology Bank Council and the ANSO Governing Board.
Prof. Mandal was appointed as a member of the Council of Higher Education (YÖK) in March 2015, elected to the Executive Board of YÖK in April 2015 and the Deputy Chairman of YÖK in July 2016. Prof. Mandal served in these positions until January 2018 and as Deputy Rector of Sabancı University from January to February 2018.
He was assigned as the President of TUBITAK on February 22, 2018, appointed as a member of the Science, Technology and Innovation Policies Council on October 8, 2018 and he has assumed the duty of acting president on November 1, 2018. He was elected as the board member of the Council of Higher Education on April 27, 2019. He was appointed as the President of TUBITAK for the second time on February 20, 2022. He was elected as the President of The World Association of Industrial and Technological Research Organizations (WAITRO) for 2023-2024 and as the Chair of the Council of the UN Technolgy Bank for the LDCs for 2024-2026.
H.E. Ms. Tania Serafim Yvonne Romualdo
H.E. Ms. Ambassador Tania Serafim Yvonne Romualdo, Permanent Representative of Cabo Verde to the United Nations, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 17 July 2023.
Prior to her appointment, Ms. Romualdo served as National Director for Foreign Policy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Regional Integration, from January 2022. From 2015 to 2021, she was her country’s Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China.
She also served as the non-resident Ambassador to Japan from 2019 to 2021. Between 2011 to 2015, she held the position of Director of the Office of the President of the Republic and Chancellor for Honorary Orders, Titles and Decorations.
From 2009 to 2011, she was Director-General for State Protocol, and from 2007 to 2009, she served as the Climate Change Focal Point of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation. She served as Chief of Staff of the Executive Secretary and Counselor for Portuguese Language, Education, and Culture at the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, in Lisbon, from 2004 to 2007.
Her diplomatic service included missions in Portugal from 2000-2004, as well as in Belgium from 1998 to 2000, during which she also served concurrently with the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States and European Union development cooperation in Brussels.
Ms. Romualdo holds a degree in international political and cultural relations from the University of Minho in Braga, Portugal.
Ms. Rabab Fatima
Ms. Rabab Fatima was appointed as the Under Secretary-General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS) in August 2022 by the United Nations Secretary-General.
As the High Representative, Ms. Rabab Fatima is responsible to support the LDCs, LLDCs, and SIDS in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, and their respective programmes of action adopted by global consensus. Together, these groups of countries constitute the 92 most vulnerable countries in the world.
Ms. Fatima has more than thirty years of experience in national and international civil service, encompassing bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, policymaking, advocacy, programme planning and implementation.
Prior to her appointment, she was the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations in New York. In that role, she co-chaired the preparatory committee meetings of the Fifth United Nations Conference on the LDC (2021). She also served as the President of the Executive Boards of UNICEF (2020) and UN-Women (2022) as well as Vice-President of the UNDP/UNFPA/UNOPS Executive Board. She was the first women to be elected as the Chair of the Peacebuilding Commission in 2022. She also led other inter-governmental processes, including the facilitation of the progress declaration of the first International Migration Review Forum.
As a career diplomat of Bangladesh, Ms. Fatima was the Ambassador of Bangladesh to Japan (2016-2019). She served as Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Bangladesh (2015-2016), Regional Representative for South Asia (2007-2011) and Regional Adviser for South and South-West Asia and Regional Adviser for Climate Change and Migration (2012-2015) of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Geneva, and was Head of Human Rights at the Commonwealth Secretariat, London (2006-2007).
The Secretary-General of the United Nations appointed her as the Secretary-General of the Third United Nations Conference of the LLDCs (LLDC3) and the Special Adviser of the Fourth United Nations Conference of the SIDS (SIDS4). In both those capacities, she will lead and support the preparations and successful holding of these two important conferences to be held in 2024. She also serves as the Secretary-General’s representative on the Council of the United Nations Technology Bank for the LDCs.
USG Fatima holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, United States, and a bachelor’s degree in social science from the University of Canberra, Australia.
H.E. Mr. Fergal Mythen
The Permanent Representative of Ireland to the United Nations, Ambassador Fergal Mythen, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General António Guterres on 26 August 2022.
Since taking up duty in New York, he represented Ireland on the Security Council for the final phase of our two-year term as an elected member, which concluded on 31 December 2022; in addition, together with Qatar, he co-facilitated the drafting of the High Level Political Declaration on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, which was adopted by consensus by Heads of State and Government at the SDG Summit in September 2023.
Prior to his current appointment, Fergal spent considerable periods of his career working for the Government of Ireland in support of the Northern Ireland peace process and implementation of the Good Friday Agreement – working for the International Fund for Ireland (1990-92), on Justice & Security issues (1999-2003 and 2005-07), and on Northern Ireland political affairs (2007-09).
Most recently, as Director-General of the Ireland, UK and Americas Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs from 2017 to 2022, he led the Departmental team working on Northern Ireland peace process issues, Irish-British relations (including the impact of Brexit), and Irish-US relations.
Between 2013 and 2017, Fergal was Director-General of the Department’s Corporate Services Division, with responsibility for human resources, finance, ICT, property management, and corporate governance and compliance issues.
He has twice served in the Permanent Representation of Ireland to the European Union in Brussels, covering two Irish EU Council Presidencies, firstly as Middle East / North Africa Attaché from 2003 to 2005, and as Coreper II Counsellor from 2009 to 2013.
Earlier in his career, in 1996-97, Fergal was seconded to the European Community Monitoring Mission in the former Yugoslavia, based in Sarajevo, BiH.
He was Director of the Department’s Human Rights Unit from 1997 to 1999.
Fergal also served as Consular Officer in the Embassy of Ireland to Italy, Rome, from 1992 to 1996.
Born in 1968, Fergal studied History and English in Trinity College Dublin and Business Studies in University College Dublin.
Ms. Bridget Dougherty
Bridget Dougherty is the Managing Director of BRAC International Holdings B.V. Dougherty is responsible for strengthening and supporting the maturing of their Financial Institutions in line with their Growth for Impact strategy, including digital transformation and impact measurement. Dougherty has fifteen years of experience in consulting, project management, process improvement, and systems implementation, working the last ten years in private sector development and financial inclusion.
Prior to joining BRAC, Dougherty was the Project Manager for the Partnership for Responsible Financial Inclusion at the Center for Financial Inclusion at Accion, and has held several other positions including Program Manager for Truelift, and as Executive Operations Manager at an NGO in Vietnam that worked to promote economic development in sectors that had strong market inclusion for the poor and positive global growth prospects. Dougherty began her career at Accenture, where she deployed large-scale system implementations for Fortune 100 and 500 corporations. She holds a BA in Economics and Spanish from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.