10 Facts About Gilbert Houngbo

Gilbert Fossoun Houngbo was born on 4 February 1961 and is a Togolese politician and diplomat who was Prime Minister of Togo from September 2008 to July 2012.

Gilbert Houngbo has held various positions within the United Nations System, including the United Nations Development Programme, the International Labour Office and the International Fund for Agricultural Development .

Gilbert Houngbo was born in rural Togo, the eleventh of eighteen children, and holds an advanced degree in business management from the University of Lome in Togo.

Gilbert Houngbo moved to Canada in 1983 on a graduate scholarship and earned a degree in accounting and finance from the Universite du Quebec a Trois-Rivieres.

Gilbert Houngbo stated in an interview in 2017 that this period deeply affected him and gave him a "sense of [his] place in the world".

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Gilbert Houngbo obtained Canadian citizenship and worked at Price Waterhouse Canada, and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Gilbert Houngbo was a relatively obscure figure in Togo prior to his appointment, which was regarded as surprising.

Gilbert Houngbo was a member of the United Nations Development Programme Strategic Management Team and was its Director of Finance and Administration before being appointed UNDP Chief of Staff in 2003.

In 2020 Gilbert Houngbo was appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to serve on the Advisory Committee for the 2021 Food Systems Summit, chaired by Inger Andersen.

On 25 March 2022 Gilbert Houngbo was elected to succeed Guy Ryder as Director-General of the International Labour Organization, becoming the first African selected for the position.