Frances Guy begins her tenure at Scotland’s International Development Alliance this week
A former UK ambassador has joined an international charity body.
Frances Guy has been appointed chief executive of Scotland’s International Development Alliance.
Guy joins the Alliance after a long career in diplomacy and international development, focusing most recently on promoting gender equality across the work of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Arab States region.
She was born and educated in Scotland, Italy and Canada before embarking on an international career that has taken her principally to the Horn of Africa and the Arabic speaking world, including Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. She has also worked in Thailand.
Guy worked for Christian Aid between 2014 – 2017 as head of their Middle East team based in London. She was Representative for UN Women in Iraq from May 2012 to December 2014 and before that she had a long career in the British Diplomatic Service during which she served as British Ambassador to Lebanon (2006 -2011) and to Yemen (2001 -2004).
She said: “I am humbled to be able to contribute to the alliance’s important work in Scotland, building on previous successes and finding new ways of working together to tackle climate change and the challenges of inequalities highlighted by the pandemic.
“I believe strongly that local people should drive the changes that affect their lives, and have seen first-hand the importance of listening to people who know their communities best.
“Having served as a trustee for many different NGOs over the course of my career, I admire the work that the alliance has done to support small organisations working in international development over the past few years.
“Although funding is tight and the pandemic has highlighted the many injustices affecting men and women across the world, there is a real opportunity to tackle those inequalities together.
“Scotland’s role in hosting COP 26 gives us a chance to demonstrate how Scotland can play a part in creating a fairer, more just world, working together to overcome adversity.”
Simon Anderson, chair of the Alliance board of trustees, said: “The Alliance board welcomes Frances Guy as the new CEO. With the depth of experience that she has across the international development and humanitarian spectra and her commitment to gender equality, we believe that Frances together with the staff team can take the alliance forward in transformational ways.
“Current global to national changes pose challenges and opportunities for alliance members. Unmitigated climate change, expanding insecurity, the pandemic, lack of confidence in the multi-lateral system, the fall-out from the UK stepping back from ODA commitments, and the impacts of economic recession on the third sector all need addressed.
“Frances brings new ideas and wisdom at a time when they are most needed.”
