Former minister for Botswana, global economist and international trade and development specialist, Bogolo Kenewendo has been appointed, on June 17, as the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions’ Africa Director. During her tenure, Bogolo Kenewendo was the youngest Cabinet Minister in Africa and in Botswana’s history.
The Climate Champions Team helps to deliver on their mandate to enhance ambition and strengthen the engagement of non-state actors in supporting Parties, working with the Marrakech Partnership, to deliver the goals of the Paris Agreement
As the Climate Champion’s new Africa Director, Bogolo Joy Kenewendo, the former Cabinet Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Botswana, it’s explained, will play a leading role in shaping and implementing the High-Level Climate Champions’ plan for accelerating ambition and action in the region, and for delivering a transformative COP27.
Working closely with the Champions and with a wide range of partners, including within the Marrakech Partnership, Bogolo Kenewendo will drive forward change and influence in the region. This work will build on Kenewendo’s focus on Pan-African development and passion for accelerating digitization and innovation across the continent.
Nigel Topping, COP26 High-Level Champion of the United Kingdom and Mahmoud Mohieldin, COP27 High-Level Champion of Egypt said: “We are delighted to welcome Ms Kenewendo as the first Africa Director for the UN Climate Change High-Level Champions. In this position, she will play a pivotal role in helping to champion diversity, inclusivity and meaningful representation of stakeholders from Africa in the design and delivery of activities under the Marrakech Partnership.” Both champions added that “on the momentous occasion of being held in Africa, COP27 is an opportunity to highlight the special needs and circumstances of the Africa and advance the climate action agenda in the continent”
The appointment comes as the Climate Champions deepen engagement with regional stakeholders as part of Five Year Plan with the Marrakech Partnership. “We are committed to ensuring actors are brought in from all corners of the globe, with special recognition to marginalized voices and the most vulnerable. With just over four months to go until Egypt hosts COP27, the Climate Champions’ focus is on implementation and tangible progress towards the 2030 Breakthroughs – tipping points in the Race to Resilience and Race to Zero”.
Youngest Cabinet Minister in Botswana’s history
Bogolo Kenewendo is a member of the UN Secretary General’s Common Agenda project on the Gender Architecture of the UN and the Group on Sustainable Financing, G7 Gender Equality Advisory Council and a Women Political Leaders Special Envoy to the G7 & G20. She currently serves as Managing Director of Kenewendo Advisory and Non-Resident Fellow with Center for Global Development, which works to reduce global poverty and improve lives through innovative economic research that drives better policy and practice by the world’s top decision makers.
Bogolo Kenewendo is the former Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry of Botswana. She was appointed to the position in April 2018, at the age of 30. During her tenure, she was the youngest Cabinet Minister in Africa and in Botswana’s history.
She holds an MSc in International Economics from the University of Sussex (UK) through the prestigious Chevening Scholarship. She is a certified Project Management PRINCE 2 practitioner and a BQA accredited trainer on economic issues. She is also the Program Leader of Molaya Kgosi Women Leadership and Mentorship Program and the Board Chair of Molaya Kgosi Trust. She is a member of the United Nations Secretary General (UN SG) António Guterres’ High Level Panel on Digital Cooperation, advising him on a rising global trend and how the UN can push for more cooperation in that space. She is also a World Economic Forum (WEF) Young Global Leader (YGL, 2019) and a member of the WEF Global Future Council for Global Public Goods in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. She recently joined the RDC Properties board as a Non-Executive Independent Director. RDC Properties Limited is the first property listed company on the Botswana Stock Exchange, registered in 1992.
Introduced policy changes and doing business reforms
As the Minister, Bogolo Kenewendo championed and introduced policy changes and doing business reforms including: reducing cost and time to start a business in Botswana from 49 days to 7 through implementing an online business registration system, reforming licensing requirements, introducing digital economy strategy and development of ecommerce ecosystem, introducing Supplier Development Program for SME onboarding in various value chains; increased foreign direct investments in one year against the target of the last 5 years. As Minister, she oversaw and served as the shareholder’s representative on 11 state-owned enterprises including one on development finance. She also chaired several trade agreement negotiations including post-Brexit agreement with the United Kingdom, chairing on-behalf of The Southern African Customs Union (SACU) and Mozambique, the Joint Council Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union and the Tripartite Free Trade Area Agreement on behalf of SACU.
Protection of children’s rights
In line with her passions as an advocate, Kenewendo moved two motions towards the protection of children’s rights: “The alignment of the penal code to the Children’s Act” which would deal with issues of sexual consent, child imprisonment, and incest, just to name a few. The second was on “The creation of a sex offender’s registry,” which was motivated by the inactivity of the registry that dealt with children-specific cases and rising cases of sexual assaults in the country. In parliament, Bogolo Kenewendo’s voice is associated with inclusivity: inclusivity in development and ensuring services reach the people in a timely manner as their share of the national cake. She aligns herself with the SDG message of “leave no one behind.”
Winner of several awards
Kenewendo was one of the first Botswana youth representatives to the United Nations General Assembly. She is also a beneficiary and alumni of the US President’s Young African Leaders Initiative for young women. In 2012 she was honoured with the Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) award by JCI Botswana and was honoured with a 2016 Botswana Change Makers Award in Business and leadership as well as a 2016 Formidable Woman award. Still in 2016 she was honoured through the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office International Leaders Program and one of Chevening’s 35 Global Changemakers in 2019 and she constantly features in Africa’s most influential person’s lists.
