Mette Knudsen

Mette Knudsen is currently Executive Director in the Board of the African Development Bank in Abidjan, representing Denmark, Finland, India, Ireland, Norway and Sweden. She has previously served as the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for political affairs in UNAMA, the UN mission in Afghanistan from 2021 to 2022. Before that she was Denmark’s Ambassador to Afghanistan from 2020 to 2021. She was Denmark’s Ambassador to Kenya, Somalia, Eritrea and the Seychelles 2015-2020. Earlier in her career she has served as Danish Ambassador to Greece and Cyprus (2012-2015), Ethiopia and the African Union and ECOWAS (2004-2007). She has been head of the Africa Department in the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007–2012) and has also had postings in Zambia (2002-2004) and Tanzania (1995-1998). Mette Knudsen has obtained a great deal of experience with conflict resolution and mediation through her ambassadorial postings in or close to conflict settings. This expertise was further enhanced through her work for the UN in Afghanistan.