Ugandan international development leader Winnie Byanyima has been appointed Chair of the Board of Trustees of the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), adding a new international leadership role to her career.

The appointment, announced on November 3, will take effect in January 2027, following her departure from the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), where she currently serves as Executive Director.

Byanyima is scheduled to conclude her UNAIDS mandate on December 31, 2026, after announcing her intention to leave at a special session of the organisation's Programme Coordinating Board on October 26.

According to UNAIDS, she will continue leading the organisation until the end of her tenure, having guided it through a period of significant challenges and transformation.

The UN agency credited her with strengthening its foundations and sustaining the global response to HIV/AIDS, with a focus on evidence, human rights and the involvement of people living with HIV.

In her new role, Byanyima will chair the board of trustees of IIED, an independent research and policy organisation headquartered in the United Kingdom.

The institute works with communities, governments and development partners to address climate change, environmental degradation, poverty and inequality.

Byanyima's appointment comes as international development organisations face growing challenges linked to climate change, biodiversity loss and economic inequality.

Her experience in social justice, sustainable development and global governance is expected to contribute to the institute's work on advancing more equitable and environmentally sustainable development.

Byanyima has held several senior positions in international organisations, including Executive Director of Oxfam International from 2013 to 2019, Director of Gender and Development at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and leadership roles within the African Union Commission.

Before joining international organisations, she served in Uganda's Parliament for 11 years, where she championed gender equality and helped establish the country's first parliamentary caucus for women legislators.

Her appointment to IIED marks another chapter in a career spanning Ugandan politics, international development and global advocacy.

She is expected to take up the new position in January 2027, shortly after completing her tenure at UNAIDS.