Political and diplomatic positions for three ISS alumni

Martha Pobee from Ghana has recently been appointed UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa. Martha Pobee graduated from ISS in 1988.

As a career diplomat, she has worked for more than 30 years in international affairs and diplomacy. Until her appointment as UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, Martha was Chief Director of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration. From 2015 until 2020 she was Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Ghana to the United Nations.

David Francis has been appointed as Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. He graduated from ISS in 1995.

Prior to this appointment Professor Francis served as the first Chief Minister of Sierra Leone for three years. He has also been a distinguished international academic, senior policy adviser and consultant for more than 25 years. 

Silvia Hernández has been appointed as the new President of the Parliament of Costa Rica. She completed the Development Economics programme at ISS in 2004.

Silvia Hernández was a congresswoman and Former Deputy Minister of National Planning and Economic Policy. She previously held several roles in the public sector and with NGOs and research institutions, advising policymakers, building the capacity of development practitioners, developing rural livelihoods and pro poor strategies, and coordinating national evaluation systems.