POPE LEO XIV APPOINTS KENYAN DR. VERA SONGWE AS MEMBER OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY

Pope Leo XIV has named Dr. Vera Songwe, a Kenyan-born economist as a new ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS).

The Vatican Press Office announced the appointment, “The Holy Father has appointed the distinguished Dr. Vera Songwe, co-chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, as ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.” Dr. Songwe, who presently co-chairs the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance.

A native of Nairobi, she was born on August 31, 1968, Dr. Songwe’s academic credentials include a degree in economics and political science from the University of Michigan, followed by a doctorate in mathematical economics from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.

Her career includes a lengthy tenure at the World Bank from 1998 to 2015, where she held several leadership positions, including National Director for a cluster of West African nations. Subsequently, from 2015 to 2017, she was the Director for West and Central Africa at the International Finance Corporation.

Dr. Songwe has been a regular participant in World Economic Forum (WEF) activities. The WEF’s online platform lists her as an Agenda Contributor, indicating she provides analytical content. She has also been a speaker at the WEF’s prestigious annual gatherings in Davos in 2023, 2024, and 2026, and is involved in its policy networks, such as the ‘Global Future Council on Business and Economic Growth’.

From 2017 to 2022, Dr. Songwe held the position of Under-Secretary-General at the United Nations and served as the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).

Dr. Songwe is the founder and president of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility. She also holds a position as a non-resident senior fellow with the Africa Growth Initiative at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C.

The Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences was founded by Pope John Paul II on January 1, 1994. Its purpose is to encourage the examination and progression of social sciences through the lens of the Catholic Church’s social teachings.

The academy concentrates on fields like economics, law, political science, and sociology, offering research that assists the Church in interpreting and addressing modern global challenges in line with its doctrine. Membership is comprised of 20 to 40 distinguished international scholars, or academicians, appointed by the Pope.