Winnie Byanyima, the outgoing Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), has been appointed chairperson of the board of trustees of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
She will take up the new role in January 2027, a day after completing her tenure at UNAIDS on 31 December 2026.
IIED is an independent research and policy organisation that works with governments, communities and civil society to address global challenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, inequality and sustainable development.
Byanyima’s appointment comes after she announced that she would leave UNAIDS at the end of the year. She made the announcement during a special session of the agency’s Programme Coordinating Board on 26 October, pledging to remain committed to her responsibilities until the end of her term.
In a statement issued on 3 November, UNAIDS congratulated Byanyima on her new appointment and praised her leadership during a challenging period for the global HIV/AIDS response.
The agency credited her with strengthening its institutional structures and sustaining international efforts to fight HIV/AIDS while promoting human rights and ensuring that people living with HIV remain central to the response.
“She has steered the Joint Programme through turbulent times, strengthened its foundations and sustained a strong global AIDS response, based on evidence, data and human rights, with people living with HIV and communities at the centre,” UNAIDS said.
Byanyima brings decades of experience in politics, international development and advocacy for social justice and gender equality.
She served for 11 years in Uganda’s Parliament as the Member of Parliament for Mbarara Municipality, where she established the country’s first caucus of women MPs and campaigned for the inclusion of gender equality provisions in the 1995 Constitution.
Beyond Uganda, she has held senior positions at Oxfam International, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the African Union Commission.
She has also co-chaired the World Economic Forum and advised the presidencies of the Group of Seven (G7) and Group of Twenty (G20) on issues including gender equality and wealth inequality.
Her appointment to IIED adds to her international leadership roles, shifting her focus from global HIV/AIDS advocacy to environmental protection, social justice and sustainable development.
