UNU Council

The UNU Council serves as the governing board of the United Nations University. It is composed of 12 appointed members (who serve in an individual capacity, not as representatives of their countries), the UNU Rector, and three ex officio members (the UN Secretary-General, the UNESCO Director-General and the UNITAR Executive Director). The UNU Council is responsible, inter alia, for devising the principles and policies that govern the University’s operations, and for considering and approving the UNU budget and work programme.

The UNU Council currently holds two regular sessions per year. It reports annually to the UN General Assembly, the UN Economic and Social Council, and the Executive Board of UNESCO. As of May 2016, the UNU Council had convened sixty-five times.

Current members of the UNU Council

  • Dr Radha Kumar Chair of UNU Council; Director General, Delhi Policy Group
    India
    2016–2022
  • Prof. Ernest Aryeetey Vice Chancellor, University of Ghana
    Ghana
    2016–2019
  • Professor Carlos Henrique de Brito Cruz Scientific Director, São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP); Professor, Gleb Wataghin Physics Institute, State University of Campinas
    Brazil
    2016–2022
  • Professor Simon Chesterman Dean, Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore
    Australia
    2016–2019
  • Ambassador Elizabeth Cousens Deputy Chief Executive Officer, United Nations Foundation
    USA
    2016–2019
  • Ms Isabel Guerrero Pulgar Director IMAGO Global Grassroots, Lecturer at Harvard and MIT
    Chile
    2016-2022
  • Ms Angela Kane Senior Fellow, Vienna Centre for Non-Proliferation and Disarmament; Professor, Sciences Po (Paris)
    Germany
    2016–2022
  • Dr Segenet Kelemu Director General and CEO, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology
    Ethiopia
    2016–2022
  • Dr Bassma Kodmani Executive Director, Arab Reform Initiative
    Syria
    2016–2019
  • Professor Irena Lipowicz Professor, Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University (Warsaw)
    Poland
    2016–2019
  • Professor Tsuneo Nishida Director, Institute for Peace Science, Hiroshima University; Director, Toho Zinc Co.,Ltd.
    Japan
    2016–2022
  • Professor Lan Xue Dean, School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University; Director, China Institute for S&T Policy; Deputy Director, China Institute for Strategic Studies on Engineering and Technology Development
    China
    2016–2019
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