Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi on Saturday congratulated Ghada Waly, the Minister of Social Solidarity, as she has been chosen by the United Nations Secretary General as executive director of the Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Waly was also chosen to succeed Yury Fedotov of Russia as director-general of the UN Office at Vienna (UNOV).

Addressing a roundtable session of the Africa Investment Forum 2019, President Sisi said that Waly has reached such position through "her efforts and world's appreciation for Egypt."

He said that he exploited such opportunity to congratulate Waly in front of Egypt and the world.

Waly brings to the position over thirty years of experience in the field of sustainable development, poverty reduction and social protection, women and youth empowerment, the UN wrote on its website.

Waly, since she took post as social solidarity minister, has developed the national anti-drug strategy, led a nation-wide drug awareness and prevention campaign among youth and pioneered innovative programmes to rehabilitate and reintegrate persons with substance use disorders into society.

In her current role, she also serves as Coordinator of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for Social Justice, Chairperson of the National Centre for Social and Criminological Research and chairs the Executive Council of Arab Ministers of Social Affairs in the League of Arab States.

Her previous leadership positions include Managing Director of the Social Fund for Development (2011‑2014), Assistant Resident Representative at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Egypt (2004‑2011) and Program Director of CARE International in Egypt (2000‑2004).

Waly holds a master’s degree in humanities and Bachelor of Arts in foreign languages and literature from the Colorado State University. She is fluent in Arabic, English and French and has a working knowledge of Spanish.