Pope Leo XIV has appointed Cameroonian economist Vera Songwe as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, a figure closely linked to international financial organizations and global initiatives related to climate financing.
The appointment was announced on March 9 by the Holy See, which highlighted her career in institutions such as the World Bank and the United Nations, as well as her current role as co-chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance.
A Career Linked to the World Bank and the UN
Vera Songwe was born in Nairobi (Kenya) in 1968 and holds Cameroonian nationality. She studied Economics and Political Science at the University of Michigan (United States) and obtained a doctorate in Mathematical Economics at the Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium).
From 1998 to 2015, she worked at the World Bank, where she held various positions, including that of World Bank Director for Senegal, Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania.
She later served as Regional Director for West and Central Africa at the International Finance Corporation, an institution belonging to the World Bank Group.
From 2017 to 2022, she served as Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.
She is currently co-chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, as well as founder of the Liquidity and Sustainability Fund initiative, aimed at facilitating financing for African countries.
She is also a non-resident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Africa Growth Initiative, an influential think tank based in Washington.
Links to Global Initiatives on Climate and Development
Songwe also participates in various international initiatives linked to climate financing and global development.
Among them is her role as an observer on the Pathways to Prosperity Commission on Technology and Inclusive Development, an international initiative co-chaired by figures from the technology and finance sectors, including Melinda Gates.
Songwe’s profile reflects a career very closely linked to multilateral organizations, international financial institutions, and global projects related to climate change and economic development.
The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences
The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences is an institution of the Holy See that brings together experts from various disciplines with the aim of studying economic, social, and political issues relevant to contemporary societies.
In recent years, the academy has incorporated several specialists from international organizations, research centers, and global networks linked to development economics and climate policies.