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About AUDA-NEPAD
The African Union Development Agency-NEPAD is the technical body of the African Union. The mandate of AUDA-NEPAD is to facilitate and
coordinate the implementation of regional and continental priority programmes and projects and to push for partnerships, resource
mobilisation, research and knowledge management. Through AUDA-NEPAD, African countries are provided unique opportunities to take full
control of their development agenda, to work more closely together and to cooperate more effectively with international partners.
For Immediate Release:
PRESS RELEASE
Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas Appointed to Global Center on Adaptation Supervisory
Board
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) has appointed Ms. Nardos Bekele-Thomas, Chief
Executive Officer of the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD (AUDA-NEPAD), to its
Supervisory Board—a strategic move that positions African priorities at the heart of global
adaptation decision-making.
Ms. Bekele-Thomas has accepted the appointment and joins a distinguished board chaired
by H.E. Macky Sall, 4th President of the Republic of Senegal, alongside Mr. Rodger Voorhies,
President of the Global Growth & Opportunity Division at the Gates Foundation, and Mr.
Francis X. Suarez, Mayor of Miami.
“I am honoured to accept this appointment at such a pivotal moment for Africa and the world,”
said Ms. Bekele-Thomas. “As we face accelerating climate impacts that disproportionately
affect our continent, Africa’s voice must be central to global adaptation governance. Through
this platform, we will ensure that our implementation priorities, development pathways, and
proven solutions shape the decisions and financing that will determine our collective climate
future.”
The appointment comes at a critical juncture as the world approaches a climate breaking point,
with Africa bearing the most severe impacts despite contributing least to the crisis.
GCA President and CEO Prof Patrick Verkooijen said ‘As GCA enters the next phase of the
Africa Adaptation Acceleration Program (AAAP) 2.0, Ms. Bekele-Thomas’s leadership will
ensure that Africa’s resilience-building agenda remains at the forefront—particularly in the
lead-up to COP30 in Belém and the decisive decade of climate action ahead.’
Under her stewardship, AUDA-NEPAD has championed locally led adaptation and institutional
capacity building for climate-resilient development across the continent. Her proven track
record in advancing intergovernmental coordination and translating policy into action makes
her an indispensable voice on the Supervisory Board.
The appointment reinforces Africa’s position as a driving force in shaping the global adaptation
agenda, ensuring the continent’s resilience-building efforts receive the political leadership,
coordination, and financing they demand.
Media Contact:
Name: Zipporah Maubane
Email: ZipporahM@auda-nepad.org
Website: www.nepad.org
AGENCE DE DEVELOPPEMENT DE L’UNION AFRICAINE
230, 15th Road, Midrand, Gauteng, Johannesburg, 1685, South Africa | Tel +27 (0) 11 256 3600 | www.nepad.org
Social Media:
Twitter: @NEPAD_Agency
LinkedIn: @AUDA NEPAD
Instagram: @auda_nepad
About the Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation is an international organization which works as a solutions broker to
accelerate action and support for adaptation solutions, from the international to the local, in partnership
with the public and private sector, to ensure we learn from each other and work together for a climate-
resilient future.
