Gender, Governance, and Sustainable Development: An Interview with Nahla Valji, UN Resident Coordinator in Eritrea
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62327/d20wzvb6iyKeywords:
Gender, Sustainability, Interview, United Nations, Eritrea, Secretary General, Africa, human rightsAbstract
Nahla Valji’s career in international development began in South Africa, where she worked on a variety of issues ranging from human rights to gender-responsive budgeting, eventually leading the Africa-wide work on transitional justice at the Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation.1 During this time she founded and served as managing editor of the International Journal of Transitional Justice.2
In 2010, she joined the UN, taking on a series of increasingly senior roles at UN Women leading the organization's work on peacekeeping, peace negotiations, and the rule of law as well as engagement with the Security Council.3 In 2015, she headed the Secretariat for the landmark Global Study on UN Security Council Resolution 1325—a comprehensive Security Council review of progress on women, peace and security.4
She subsequently moved to the Executive Office of the UN Secretary- General as a Senior Adviser, and head of the Spotlight Initiative—a flagship €500 million program to eliminate violence against women and girls, tied to the Sustainable Development Goals.5 Her work across these roles led to her recognition in the 2021 edition of Apolitical's 100 Most Influential Peo- ple in Gender Policy.6
In January of 2024, Valji was appointed to the role of UN Resident Coordinator in Eritrea, serving as the Secretary-General’s designated representative in the country, coordinating the development work of the UN in the country where she works closely with government bodies to support implementation of UN 2030 goals.7
Over the span of her career she has played a leading role in building new institutions, including two UN funds and a Security Council mechanism on women, peace and security.8 She holds a Master's in Political Science and International Relations and a Joint Diploma in Forced Migration Studies from York University, and is co-editor of the Oxford Handbook on Gender and Conflict.9
References
“Apolitical’s 100 Most Influential People in Gender Policy.” Apolitical, Accessed February 11, 2026. https://apolitical.co/list/en/gender-equality-100.
Hassan, Tirana. “World Report 2025: Eritrea.” Human Rights Watch, Accessed February 5, 2026. https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2025/country- chapters/eritrea.
Lombardo, Allison and Stuart Patrick. “The Painful, Seismic Shift in Humanitarian Aid – and What’s Next.” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, De- cember 10, 2025. https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2025/12/the- painful-seismic-shift-in-humanitarian-aidand-whats-next.
“Secretary-General appoints Ms. Nahla Valji of Canada as the United Nations Res- ident Coordinator in Eritrea.” UN Sustainable Development Goals, January 22, 2024. https://unsdg.un.org/latest/announcements/secretary-gen- eral-appoints-ms-nahla-valji-canada-united-nations-resident.
“Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Accessed February 5, 2026. https://www.justice.gov.za/trc/.
UN Sustainable Development Goals. “The Resident Coordinator.” Accessed Feb- ruary 13, 2026. https://unsdg.un.org/2030-agenda/leadership/the-resi- dent-coordinator.
