Henrietta Holsman Fore Appointed New UNICEF Lead
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has appointed Henrietta Holsman Fore as the new executive director of the United Nations Children's Fund, also known as UNICEF.
Fore served as the first female administrator of the United States' Agency for International Development, or USAID, from 2007 to 2009. She also served in the U.S. State Department and as Director of the United States Mint. Earlier in her career, from 1989 to 1993, she served as Assistant Administrator for Asia, and Assistant Administrator for Private Enterprise at USAID.
Fore is chairman of the board and chief executive officer for consulting, manufacturing, and investment company Holsman International, her family's investment and management company. She also serves on the boards of six domestic and international public corporations.
Statements from the United Nations and U.S. State Department note that Fore has worked for four decades to promote economic development, education and health, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief for the most vulnerable populations.
She succeeds Anthony Lake, who has served as executive director of UNICEF since 2010.
UNICEF is a United Nations agency that serves children and mothers in developing nations. The program supplies families with vaccines and antiretroviral medicines, nutritional supplements, emergency shelters, educational tools and family reunification help. It is the second-largest U.N. agency, with a budget of about $5 billion.
The State Department has welcomed Fore's appointment. In a statement, spokeswoman Heather Nauert said Fore "will be a powerful voice on behalf of the world's children in her new position with the U.N."
Outgoing UNICEF director Lake released a statement saying Fore "will bring a wealth of experience to UNICEF's work for children." He added, "I know the organization will support her as it has worked with me. Her success will be UNICEF's success — and thus a success for children."