The Deputy Executive Director for the United Nations Populations Fund and UN Assistant Secretary-General, Mr. Dereje Wordofa, will be on a working visit to Senegal and Sierra Leone from 15 to 22 June 2019.

In Senegal, Mr. Dereje Wordofa will be addressing the First African Summit on Female Genital Mutilation and Child Marriage, where he is expected to advocate eliminating harmful practices and child marriage.

President Macky Sall of Senegal will official preside over the opening ceremony of the Summit on Sunday, 16 June 2019, at 10:00 AM at the King Fahd Palace Hotel, in Dakar Senegal. The Summit is co-organized by the Governments of Senegal and The Gambia, in collaboration with the NGO Safe Hands for Girls. It will run from 16 to 18 June 2019.

Over 500 delegates, including the Vice-President of The Gambia and Ministers, technical and financial partners, religious and traditional authorities, civil society organizations, survivors and youth organizations, are expected to attend the three day event.

While in Senegal the UNFPA Deputy Executive Director will also visit UNFPA-supported projects, as well as hold meetings with government authorities, including Government ministers, as well as World Bank officials.

From Senegal he will travel to Sierra Leone, in the company of UNFPA Regional Director for Western and Central Africa Region, Mr. Mabingue Ngom, where he will attend a launching event related with the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) 25 and UNFPA 50 years. Mr. Dereje Wordofa will meet with state authorities, including the President and Government Ministries. He is also expected to visit the Rokupa Hospital to witness the construction of a new emergency obstetric care service, before returning to New York.