Maimunah Mohd Sharif

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Mohd Sharif is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Maimunah. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.
Yang Berbahagia Dato' Seri
Maimunah Mohd Sharif
DPNS DGPN DSPN AMN
Maimunah in 2018
15th Mayor of Kuala Lumpur
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 August 2024
Preceded byKamarulzaman Mat Salleh
Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme
(UN-Habitat)
In office
20 January 2018 – 19 January 2024
Preceded byJoan Clos
Succeeded byMichal Mlynár
Acting Director-General, United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
In office
January 2019[1] – 8 January 2020
Preceded byHanna Tetteh
Succeeded byZainab Bangura
Mayor of Penang Island[2]
In office
1 July 2017 – 19 January 2018
Preceded byPatahiyah Ismail
Succeeded byYew Tung Seang
Personal details
Born
Maimunah binti Mohd Sharif

(1961-08-26) 26 August 1961 (age 63)
Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan, Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia)
Residence(s)Nairobi, Kenya (2018–2024)
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2024–present)
EducationSungai Dua Primary School
Tunku Kurshiah High School
Alma materUniversity of Wales Institute of Science and Technology (BSc)
University of Science Malaysia (MSc)
OccupationCivil servant
ProfessionUrban planner

Dato' Seri Maimunah binti Mohd Sharif[3] (born 26 August 1961) is a Malaysian civil servant and urban planner who has been serving as the 15th Mayor of Kuala Lumpur since August 2024. She also served as the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)[4] since January 2018 until January 2024, becoming the first Asian woman to serve as Executive Director of UN-Habitat.[5][6] On 20 January 2022, she was re-elected by the UN General Assembly for a two-year term that ends on 19 January 2024.[7]

From January 2019 to January 2020 she also concurrently served as the acting Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON).[8][9] She holds the rank of Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations in the UN System and sits on the United Nations Chief Executives Board for Coordination and the Secretary-General's Senior Management Group.[10][11]

Prior to her appointment as Executive Director of UN-Habitat, Sharif was the Mayor of Penang Island, Malaysia. Before her appointment as Mayor, she was the President of the Municipal Council of Seberang Perai from 2011, the first woman to be appointed to the position.[12]

  1. ^ "Office of the Director-General | UNON".
  2. ^ "Maimunah takes over on island while Rozali assumes Seberang Prai post".
  3. ^ "LAWATAN OLEH UN HABITAT KE PUTRAJAYA". Majlis Keselamatan Negara Malaysia. 12 August 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif of Malaysia elected new Executive Director of UN-Habitat – UN-Habitat".
  5. ^ "IUT – Datuk Maimunah Mohd Sharif – the first Asian female head of UN-habitat". www.iut.nu. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  6. ^ Basyir, Mohamed (23 December 2017). "Penang mayor first Asian to be appointed UN‑Habitat executive director | New Straits Times". NST Online. Retrieved 27 August 2020.
  7. ^ "Ms. Maimunah Mohd Sharif of Malaysia - confirmed by General Assembly decision as Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat)l".
  8. ^ "Office of the Director-General - UNON". unon.org.
  9. ^ "Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura of Sierra Leone - Director-General of the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) | United Nations Secretary-General". www.un.org. Retrieved 4 November 2021.
  10. ^ "Board Members | United Nations - CEB".
  11. ^ "Senior Management Group | United Nations Secretary-General".
  12. ^ "From mayor of Penang to 'Mayor of the World'". Malaysiakini. 8 July 2018.