The President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is elected annually by the assembly’s representatives and presides over its sessions. Since its establishment in 1946, only 12 Africans have had the honor of serving as President of the General Assembly. Below is a detailed list of these distinguished leaders.
1. Mongi Slim (Tunisia)
Mongi Slim was the first African to serve as President of the UNGA, holding the position in 1961. A distinguished diplomat, he also served as Tunisia’s Permanent Representative and its representative on the Security Council from 1959 to 1960. Slim, a graduate of the University of Paris law faculty, was twice imprisoned by the French during Tunisia’s independence struggle.
2. Dr. Alex Quaison-Sackey (Ghana)
Dr. Alex Quaison-Sackey was the first black African to preside over the UNGA, serving as President during its 19th session in 1964. A career diplomat, he held several significant roles, including First Secretary at the Ghana High Commission (1957–1959) and Ghana’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1959–1965).
3. Angie Elizabeth Brooks (Liberia)
Angie Elizabeth Brooks remains the only African woman to have served as President of the UNGA, a position she held in 1969. A diplomat and jurist, she was also the second woman from any nation to head the General Assembly.
Angie Elizabeth Brooks – Image credit: Toxipedia.org
4. Abdelaziz Bouteflika (Algeria)
Abdelaziz Bouteflika, who later became Algeria’s fifth president, served as President of the UNGA during its 29th session in 1975. Bouteflika played a key role in ending Algeria’s bloody civil war and presided over significant political reforms during his presidency.
5. Salim Ahmed Salim (Tanzania)
Salim Ahmed Salim, a veteran diplomat, presided over the UNGA’s 34th session in 1979. He also led several emergency special and special sessions during his tenure. Born on January 23, 1942, Salim has been active in international diplomacy since the 1960s.
6. Paul John Firmino Lusaka (Zambia)
Paul Lusaka, a Zambian politician and diplomat, served as President of the UNGA in 1984. He also presided over the United Nations Council for Namibia, highlighting his extensive contributions to global diplomacy.
7. Major General Joseph Nanven Garba (Nigeria)
Joseph Nanven Garba was a Nigerian general, diplomat, and politician. He served as President of the UNGA during its 44th session from 1989 to 1990. Prior to this, he was Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 1984 to 1989.
8. Amara Essy (Ivory Coast)
Amara Essy served as President of the 49th session of the UNGA from 1994 to 1995. At the time, he was also Ivory Coast’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, a position he assumed in 1990.
9. Theo-Ben Gurirab (Namibia)
Theo-Ben Gurirab, a Namibian diplomat and politician, was President of the UNGA from 1999 to 2000. He also served as Namibia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs (1990–2002) and later as Speaker of the National Assembly (2005–2015). Gurirab retired from politics in 2015.
10. Jean Ping (Gabon)
Jean Ping, a seasoned Gabonese diplomat, served as President of the UNGA from 2004 to 2005. Before this, he was Gabon’s Foreign Minister (1999–2008) and later chaired the African Union Commission (2008–2012).
11. Ali Abdussalam Treki (Libya)
Ali Treki, a prominent Libyan diplomat, served as President of the UNGA during its 64th session (2009–2010). Treki held several high-ranking diplomatic positions under Muammar Gaddafi’s regime until the onset of the 2011 Libyan Civil War.
12. Sam Kahamba Kutesa (Uganda)
Sam Kahamba Kutesa, President of the United Nations General Assembly 2014–2015
Sam Kahamba Kutesa is a Ugandan lawyer and politician who has served as Uganda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2005. He presided over the UNGA’s 69th session in 2014–2015.
