Elke Wisch appointed new UNICEF Representative to the United Republic of Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, 7 August 2023 – UNICEF’s newly appointed Representative to the United Republic of Tanzania, Ms. Elke Wisch, has officially taken up her position following the presentation of her letter of credentials to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Honourable Dr. Stergomena Lawrence Tax, in Dar es Salaam today.

At the ceremony, Dr. Tax congratulated Elke for her appointment and reemphasized the commitment of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to continue to work closely with UNICEF in addressing children welfare issues and commending UNICEF for all its work over the years in the country. 

“The Just ended Africa Human Capital Summit emphasized the need to invest in children and youth to reap the demographic dividend, so we are counting on our partnership with UNICEF to continue to work together to take this agenda forward in our country,” said minister Dr. Tax. 

“It is an honour to have the opportunity to serve children and families of this remarkable country,” said Ms. Wisch. “Together with our partners, we will continue to work tirelessly in support of the people and the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania to create sustainable solutions and provide opportunities for a brighter future for every child in Tanzania.”

Ms. Wisch brings a wealth of experience and expertise to lead UNICEF's efforts in Tanzania. With 27 years of dedicated service, Ms. Wisch has contributed to improve the lives of children and communities in diverse developmental, transitional, and emergency contexts, including in Rwanda, Liberia, Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro, Afghanistan, Myanmar and Uganda.

As Deputy Regional Director Ms. Wisch oversaw regional technical assistance for 21 UNICEF country programmes in Eastern and Southern Africa region, including Tanzania. Ms. Wisch led UNICEF’s cooperation programme as Representative in Madagascar and most recently, was the UNICEF Representative in Nepal, a position she held for the last four years.

“UNICEF has been serving children and families in Tanzania for the past 70 years and we are committed to continuing the great cooperation to ensure that no child and young person is left behind and that every child/young person can meet their full potential to contribute to Tanzania’s development,” said Ms Wisch speaking on the work ahead.

Prior to joining UNICEF, Ms. Wisch worked in various conflict resolution organizations and academic institutions in Germany and the United States. 

A national of Germany, Ms. Wisch holds a Master of Arts in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Munich and a Master of Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.

She moves to Tanzania accompanied by her daughter.