United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has appointed Michelle Gyles-McDonnough of Jamaica as the new Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). She is the first Caribbean national to head the institute.
Operated as an autonomous body within the United Nations system, UNITAR is headed by the executive director and governed by a board of trustees. The institute provides training and learning services to national and local government officials of UN member states and civil society representatives from around the world.
Gyles-McDonnough will assume her duties on February 1, 2025, succeeding Nikhil Seth of India, to whom the Secretary-General expressed profound gratitude for his dedication and contributions to the United Nations.
With over three decades of experience in sustainable development, policy advocacy, international trade, and organizational change, Gyles-McDonnough brings extensive expertise to her new role. Currently serving as Director of the Sustainable Development Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, she has been instrumental in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and fostering partnerships with global stakeholders.
Her leadership within the UN has included key roles such as UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative for Barbados and the OECS, Malaysia, Singapore, and Brunei Darussalam, and positions with the UNDP in the Caribbean and Grenada. Prior to joining the UN, Gyles-McDonnough worked as an international trade lawyer and served as Legal Adviser to the Jamaican Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Adviser to the Secretary-General of the Organization of American States (OAS).
A Columbia Law graduate, she also holds a master’s in public administration from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a diploma in executive education from the Wharton School. Fluent in English, she has a working knowledge of French and Spanish.
UNITAR welcomed Gyles-McDonnough’s appointment, highlighting her extensive background and commitment to driving sustainable development initiatives.
