Ms. Leitner has worked for 30 years for the UN system. Her career with the UN has taken her to four regions (Africa, Asia, Arab States and Europe) in positions with increasing responsibility. During 28 years with UNDP, she spent 17 years in country offices and 11 at headquarters, 21 years in programme management and 7 in internal management. Two years with WHO rounded out her professional experience as a civil servant of a global public sector organization dealing with issues which transcend the responsibility of national governments and requires well coordinated international cooperation (e.g. SARS, the management of chemicals such as POPs, AIDS).
She now lives in Berlin/Germany and teaches at the Universität Potsdam about international public policies.
Experience
Since Sept. Retired from UN service, lecturer at Freie Universität, Berlin
2005 member of Transparency International and various other NGOs
July 2003- Assistant Director-General, WHO, Geneva
Aug 2005 Sustainable Development and Healthy Environments
March 1998 UN Resident Coordinator
July 2003 UNDP Resident Representative, China
1975 - Various postings with UNDP in Benin 1975-79, Malawi 1987-1990, China 1980-83 and at headquarters in New York
March 1998 (oversight of programmes in Arab countries 1983-87 and Director Administration (1991 – 1998)
1973-75 Teaching/Research Assistant, Freie Universität Berlin
1971-73 Research Associate, University of Nairobi, Kenya
