====== Omar Abdi ======

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**Omar Abdi** is a Somali-Canadian diplomat. He serves as the Deputy Executive Director of [[UNICEF]] and a board member of [[Gavi|Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance]].((//Omar Abdi.// (2022, September 12). Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. https://archive.ph/sOSW2))

===== History =====

==== Education ====

Abdi has a bachelor of science in civil engineering from the [[Somali National University]] in Mogadishu. He later received a doctoral degree in development economics and a master’s in regional development planning, both from [[Cornell University]].((//Secretary-General Appoints Omar Abdi of Canada Deputy Executive Director (Programmes), United Nations Children’s Fund | UN Press.// (2016, June 6). United Nations. https://web.archive.org/web/20221129064533/https://press.un.org/en/2016/sga1663.doc.htm))

==== Career ====

Abdi formerly served on the Board of Directors for the [[Global Partnership for Education]] (GPE) and the [[Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health]].((//Report of the meeting of the Board of Directors.// (2019, December). Global Partnership for Education. https://web.archive.org/web/20221129065946/https://www.globalpartnership.org/sites/default/files/document/file/2019-12-GPE-Board-meeting.report.pdf)) ((//Board members.// Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health. Retrieved March 8, 2022, from https://web.archive.org/web/20220308000601/http://www.who.int/pmnch/about/governance/board/members/en/))

In 2020, Abdi was part of the selection committee that chose [[José Manuel Barroso]] as chair of [[Gavi]]'s board.((Roedy, B. (2019). //Governance Committee Chair Report.// Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. https://web.archive.org/web/20221129064825/https://www.gavi.org/sites/default/files/board/minutes/2019/4-dec/presentations/GC%20Chair%20Report%20to%20Board%20-%20Dec%202019.pdf))