Abuja — The Executive Director of Africa Network for Environment and Economic Justice, ANEEJ, an anti-corruption and human rights activist has been elected as the Co-Chair of UNCAC Coalition Board, a global network dedicated to advancing the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption. His election follows his successful tenure as a two-time Vice Chair of the Coalition’s Board, a position he held since September 2022.
Mathias Huter, Managing Director of the UNCAC Coalition Board who announced Ugolor’s election on Friday, 11 October 2024, congratulated him alongside the newly elected leadership team. “Congratulations to the new board leadership on their election. I look forward to working with them,” Huter stated.
In his announcement, Huter revealed the full leadership lineup, which includes Gillian Dell, who will serve as co-chair alongside Ugolor, Naomi Roht-Arriaza, and Wajdi Balloumi as Vice Chairs, Wana Alamsyah as Treasurer, and Mukhtar Ahmad Ali as Secretary.
Rev. Ugolor brings over two decades of experience in anti-corruption advocacy, making him a valuable asset to the Coalition. As Co-Chair, he will work closely with Gillian Dell, to further the Coalition’s mission of mobilizing civil society to champion transparency, accountability, and the fight against corruption globally.
Rev David Ugolor has over two decades of work experience on anti-corruption and has Master Degrees in Agricultural Economics and the Study of Corruption from the Universities of Benin and Sussex respectively. He has made several presentations on corruption, Illicit Financial Flows and Sustainable Development at both local and international workshops, and seminars. David Ugolor has participated as a resource person in several UN meetings and also facilitated civil society engagement with Open Government Partnership. At inception, Ugolor served as the Co-Chair of the Anti-Corruption Working Group of the Open Government Partnership Nigeria. David Ugolor facilitated the Pre-Global Forum on Asset Recovery consultation in Nigeria and participated in the GFAR panel debate held in December 2017, in Washington DC.
Rev. David Ugolor led the implementation of independent CSO monitoring of $322.5millions of the Abacha loot which was used for conditional cash transfer programmes in Nigeria under the MANTRA project. The Conditional Cash Transfer Programme is one of the key social investment policies of the Federal Government of Nigeria that is targeting poor Nigerians geared toward attainment of the sustainable development goals in Nigeria.
Gillian Dell currently serves as Chair of the UNCAC Coalition and is global advocacy lead at Transparency International (TI). She was previously head of the TI conventions unit for over fifteen years, covering international anti-corruption instruments and their review mechanisms, including the UN Convention against Corruption.
Gillian was founding co-convenor of the UNCAC Coalition in 2006 (originally called the Coalition of Civil Society Friends of the UNCAC) and continued in the role of convenor until the election of the first UNCAC Coalition board in 2011. From 2006 until 2018, she led the TI team that provided the UNCAC Coalition’s secretariat, coordinating the Coalition’s submissions and activities at UNCAC meetings. Apart from her current role as Chair of the UNCAC Coalition, she is also Chair of the UNCAC Coalition Working Group on Grand Corruption and State Capture. She was previously elected Vice Chair of the Coalition in October 2021, Co-Chair in September 2022, and most recently as Chair in September 2023.
In his acceptance remarks, Rev. Ugolor expressed his gratitude for the trust placed in him by the Coalition’s members. “I am deeply honoured to serve as Co-Chair of the UNCAC Coalition. This appointment is a reflection of the collective efforts of civil society worldwide to strengthen our fight against corruption. I look forward to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that the Coalition remains a formidable force in holding governments accountable and ensuring transparency in governance,” Ugolor stated.
“My election as Co-Chair is not just a personal honour but a reflection of the collective strength of civil society in our fight against corruption. Together, we are driving the global push for greater transparency and justice, and I am committed to ensuring that our voices remain at the forefront,” Ugolor stated.
The UNCAC Coalition, established in 2006, is a network of over 350 civil society organizations from more than 100 countries, working to promote the ratification, implementation, and monitoring of the UN Convention against Corruption.
