K. Y. Amoako
Executive Secretary, Economic Commission for Africa
United Nations Under-Secretary-General
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Since 1995, K. Y. Amoako has been Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Africa, the regional arm of the United Nations in Africa, at the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations. Mr. Amoako also serves as the co-Chair of the UN's Special Initiative for Africa, an effort designed to harmonize the UN's work in Africa; as a member of the Global Information and Infrastructure Commission; and as a member of the World Health Organizations' new high-level Commission on Macroeconomics and Health.

Prior to ECA, he served in the World Bank for several years, most recently in senior positions including: Director of the Education and Social Policy Department with responsibility for providing strategic leadership for the Bank's programs on poverty reduction and human resource development (1993-1995); Division Chief of the Human Resources Operations Division for Brazil, Venezuela and Peru (1990-1992); and Division Chief for Country Operations for six countries in eastern Africa (1985-1990).

Among Mr. Amoako's principal publications is the "Balance of Payments Problems and Exchange Rate Policy: The Ghanaian Experience. In addition, he supervised the preparation of major World Bank reports and policy papers including: Higher Education: The Lessons of Experience (1993); Enhancing Women's Participation in Economic Development (1994); and Advancing Social Development: A Contribution to the Social Summit (1995). A recently published book, Perspectives on Africa's Development, contains the texts of Mr. Amoako's 40 major speeches on the region's challenges that he has delivered since 1996.

K.Y. Amoako received his B.A. (Hons) with a concentration in Economics from the University of Ghana in Legon and his M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from the University of California at Berkeley.