Rima Khalaf facts for kids
Rima Khalaf Hunaidi is an important figure from Jordan. She was born in 1953 in Kuwait. From 2010 to 2017, she served as the Executive Secretary of a special United Nations group called the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She left this job in March 2017. This happened because she chose to resign rather than remove a report. This report had said that Israel was treating people unfairly, similar to an apartheid system.
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Learning and Education
Rima Khalaf studied Economics at the American University of Beirut. She then continued her studies in the United States. She earned a Master's degree in Economics and a Ph.D. in System Science from Portland State University.
Her Career Journey
Rima Khalaf has held many important jobs, both in her home country and around the world.
Working for Jordan
Before working for the United Nations, Rima Khalaf held several high-level jobs in the government of Jordan:
- She was the Minister of Industry and Trade from 1993 to 1995.
- She served as the Minister of Planning from 1995 to 1998.
- From 1999 to 2000, she was the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Planning.
In these roles, she worked to improve Jordan's economy. She also focused on helping people by improving education and reducing poverty.
Helping Development Worldwide
From 2000 to 2006, Rima Khalaf worked for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). She was an Assistant Secretary-General. She led important projects to improve education and economic growth in Arab countries.
She also started a special project called the Arab Human Development Report. This report looked at how people were living in Arab countries. The first report won an award in 2003. Another report in the series won an award in 2005.
Rima Khalaf often shares her ideas at international meetings. These meetings focus on how to help countries grow and develop. She was part of groups that advised the World Bank and worked on global security. She also led the Advisory Board for the United Nations Democracy Fund. In 2009-2010, she was a visiting scholar at Harvard University.
From 2008 to 2009, she was the chief executive officer of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Foundation. This foundation works on knowledge and development.
From 2010 to 2017, she worked for the United Nations as the Executive Secretary of ESCWA.
Other Activities and Roles
Since 2023, Rima Khalaf has been a member of the Board of Trustees for the International Crisis Group (ICG). This group works to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts.
Awards and Recognition
Rima Khalaf has received several awards for her important work:
- In 2005, she won the League of Arab States award. This award recognized her as "the Most Distinguished Arab Woman in the Field of International Organizations."
- In 2009, she received an honorary degree from the American University of Cairo. This was for her work in education, women's rights, and economic growth.
- In December 2009, the Financial Times newspaper named her one of the top fifty people who shaped that decade.
About Her Personal Life
Rima Khalaf is a citizen of Jordan. She is married and has two children.
