The appointment of Dr. Songwe who is currently serving as co-chair of the Independent High-Level Expert Group on Climate Finance, was made public by the Holy See Press office on Monday, March 9.
Born on 31 August 1968, in Nairobi, Kenya, Dr. Songwe holds a degree in economics and political sciences from the University of Michigan in the United States and a doctorate in mathematical economics from the Université Catholique de Louvain in Belgium.
From 1998 to 2015, she worked at the World Bank, where she held various roles, including National Director for Senegal, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and Mauritania. Between 2015 and 2017, she served as Director for West and Central Africa at the International Finance Corporation.
Dr. Songwe has participated in events linked to the World Economic Forum (WEF). The WEF website lists Songwe as an “Agenda Contributor” (someone who writes analysis pieces for the forum's platform).
She has also spoken at the WEF's annual meeting in Davos in 2023, 2024 and 2026.
Furthermore, she has participated in WEF-related policy networks. Dr. Songwe is listed among participants connected with the ‘Global Future Council on Business and Economic Growth’, a WEF initiative.
From 2017 to 2022, Dr. Songwe served as Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) and Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
During Dr. Songwe's leadership of UNECA, the commission participated in the implementation of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals in Africa that included planned parenthood, which is regarded as one of the world's largest companies to kill unborn children.
These included targets to “ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights”, which are euphemisms for contraception and abortion.
The 2020 Africa Sustainable Development Report, which was prepared under the leadership of Songwe, describes access to “family planning and reproductive health services” as a health indicator.
The report discusses access to contraception: “Worldwide, more than three quarters of all women of reproductive age have satisfactory access to family planning methods.”
She is the founder and president of the Liquidity and Sustainability Facility and currently serves as a non-resident senior fellow at the Africa Growth Initiative of the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., United States.
These institutions are said to support programmes which typically include contraception and abortion.
Dr. Songwe has also served on the advisory board of ID4Africa, a Pan-African Movement founded in 2014, which promotes national digital identity systems across African countries.
PASS was established by Pope John Paul II on 1 January 1994 to promote the study and advancement of social sciences in dialogue with the Catholic Church’s social teaching.
The academy focuses mainly on disciplines such as economics, sociology, law, and political science, providing research and analysis that help the Church develop and apply its social doctrine to contemporary global issues, the PASS website indicates.
According to the website, the Pontifical Academy was established to promote the study and advancement of the social sciences and to contribute to the development and application of the Catholic Church’s social teaching.
Through its work, the Vatican-based institution seeks to foster dialogue between scientific research and the Church’s moral and social concerns, particularly on issues affecting human dignity and the common good.
To fulfill its mission, the academy organizes international conferences and workshops, undertakes research initiatives and surveys, and produces academic publications addressing a wide range of social and economic issues facing contemporary society.
The academy is reportedly composed of between 20 and 40 members, known as academicians, who are distinguished scholars from around the world specializing in various fields of the social sciences.
Members are appointed by the Pope and represent diverse countries and academic disciplines. Membership is not restricted by religion, allowing scholars of different faith traditions and backgrounds to contribute to the academy’s work.
Currently, the academy is led by President Helen Alford, who was appointed in 2023, while Peter Kodwo Appiah Cardinal Turkson, the former Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, serves as Chancellor.
The Pontifical Academy is headquartered at the historic Casina Pio IV in Vatican City, a Renaissance villa located within the Vatican Gardens that also hosts other pontifical academies.
Over the years, the academy has reportedly examined a wide range of global issues, including democracy and globalization, human rights and religious freedom, economic crises, intergenerational solidarity, and challenges such as human trafficking and modern slavery.